Background and Objectives:
The Limpopo basin is characterized by extensive rainfall variability resulting in endemic droughts, occasional floods, degraded watersheds and deteriorating water quality.
Floods produce a major negative impact on the region’s macro-economic performance, the environment and people’s welfare, which is why individual governments are attempting to mitigate and manage this threat. Despite these efforts, planning for floods remains inadequate.
The overall objective of the project is to develop and implement participatory land-use tools and plans for sustainable land management in the Lower Limpopo River Basin in order to reduce the impact of floods on land, ecosystems and human settlements.
Activities:
Main activities include:
Establish an inter-country co-operation framework for integrated land-use management in the lower Limpopo river basin;
Stimulate legal, regulatory and policy changes at all levels relevant to flood mitigation, vulnerability reduction and land use planning;
Develop an effective flood forecasting and early warning system linked to national sustainable land management and disaster management programmes;
Build capacity for participatory land-use planning for sustainable land management in order to reduce the direct or indirect impact of floods on natural ecosystems;
Elaborate and adopt disaster preparedness techniques, contingency plans and awareness campaigns that will strengthen capacities of riparian communities to cope with flood events.
Results:
National baseline studies prepared. This included a review of available legal, policy and institutional frameworks, early warning and flood management information flow, and existing capacity for sustainable land-use management;
Regional baseline studies carried out. This included a review of inter-country cooperation on flood mitigation and preparedness, sub-regional agreements and plans, and information and technological exchange;
Flood risk and land use maps prepared;
Database created and project website designed;
Participatory land use and contingency plans produced for selected locations in the 4 riparian countries, including the definition and implementation of priority interventions;
Series of sustainable land-use planning and vulnerability reduction tools developed and adapted to the local context;
Capacity-building activities implemented at the local level;
Sub-regional workshop and consequent training conducted for flood forecasting and early warning system;
Three sub-regional steering committee workshops held with delegates from the four countries;
Recommendations on legal and policy changes formulated;
Limpopo Basin Action Plan delineated.
