Experiential tour organized by Nile Basin Initiative to Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) and Zambezi River Authority (ZRA)

The Experiential tour organized by Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) to Zambezi Water course Commission) in Zimbabwe and Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) in Zambia was a real success in mobilizing stakeholders from the member countries of the Nile basin. Leading personalities such as the Permanent Secretaries from foreign Affairs, Water and Finance as well as the NBI Technical Advisory Committee members from nine countries attended the event, which enabled them to learn and share their experiences.

The Nile Basin Initiative in Partnership with the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) and Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) organized the experiential tour that was conducted back-to-back with the hydro diplomacy training in Harare Zimbabwe and thereafter visited the Kariba dam on the Zambia side. The experiential learning tour targeted senior government officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Water Resources and Finance and the NBI Governance who are decision makers and influence the decision-making processes regarding trans-boundary water management. This tour offered an interactive and practical approach to learn and share experiences of these two basin organizations in managing the water resources of the Zambezi River, Africa’s 4th largest man-made river. 

The Nile Basin Experiential Learning Tour was officially opened by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, agriculture, fisheries, water, and rural development who was represented by Eng. Tatenda Mawokomatanda. She noted that the management of the two river basins provides an opportunity for sharing experiences and gaining insights on strategies to foster interregional cooperation. This Experiential Tour enabled the NBI team to gain a better understanding of the management of the Kariba dam on both sides where the dam is located and showcase cooperation between the countries that this unique resource which is a true reflection of transboundary cooperation, development and peacebuilding between these countries. This study tour was the 3rd that the NBI has conducted as part of its peer-to-peer learning program. Participants learnt more about ZAMCOM and ZRA in terms of their cooperation framework, institutional governance, investment, development and infrastructure.  It is also an opportunity for the two host basin organizations to learn more about NBI’s management approach, flagship projects and governance.

The specific objective of the experience learning tour were the following:  

► Sharing the experience of joint infrastructure development of Kariba Dam along the Zambezi transboundary water course, and compare to Nile experience e.g. from Rusumo Falls Hydropower 

►   share experience of the ZAMCOM especially regarding cooperative basin investment planning/preparation and to compare
to experience from Nile Basin
in developing the Nile Basin Investment Programme (BIP)
►    To develop essential skills of relevant officials of NBI Member states in negotiation and conflict management.
►    Create awareness on transboundary water cooperation in the Nile basin and foster relations amongst senior officials who are not part of NBI regular governance structures

The experiential learning tours are envisaged to promote sharing of good practices in the management and development of transboundary water resources. In addition, they facilitate learning from flagship projects that are successful in management and development of Transboundary Water Resources. NBI will benchmark good practices that can be promoted for replication in the rest of the Nile Basin Member states.
Concluding the study tour, the three basin organizations agreed that this collaboration should be strengthened, and made recommendations that help them to learn from each other and avoid repeating the same errors. In this respect, ZAMCOM has announced its intention to carry out a study trip to NBI.