Zambezi River Basin faces severe climate threats: N$12 billion required
A five-year investment plan worth over US$700 million (about N$12 billion) has been proposed to address the severe climate change threats facing Africa's Zambezi River Basin Region. The plan was presented to the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) for approval by Calle Schlettwein, Namibia’s Agriculture and Water Minister and the chairperson of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), during the CIF's Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) Trust Fund Committee Meeting in Washington.
Presenting the plan, Schlettwein emphasized its transformative approach, stating: “This transformative plan is designed to advance nature-based solutions in addressing the complex interplay of human activities, climate change, and ecosystem degradation in the Zambezi Watercourse.” He noted that the plan’s development was made possible by the generous financial support of the CIF.
ZAMCOM is an intergovernmental organization that unites the eight riparian states sharing the Zambezi River Basin: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its primary goal is to promote the equitable and sustainable use of the Zambezi's water resources.
Schlettwein highlighted the river’s critical role, explaining: “It is the lifeline for about 51 million people across eight riparian states, providing essential resources such as potable water, land resources, forest products, wildlife, fish stocks, hydropower, as well as supporting spiritual and recreational activities.” He described the basin as a complex and diverse biome composed of open water systems, wetlands, floodplains, and forests that host a wide range of biodiversity.
However, the basin is under threat from increasing climate variability, unsustainable land use practices, and environmental degradation, jeopardizing its long-term sustainability. Schlettwein pointed to the critically low water levels at the Kariba Dam, the largest artificial lake in the system, which had dropped to 6% before the current runoff season began in November 2024. He warned: “This on its own must be an early warning of what climate change and a resultant freshwater cycle instability can and will bring about.”
Schlettwein further stressed the potential impact of these challenges, stating: “These disasters will obviously manifest themselves not only in lost power generation, but equally in lost food production, destroyed livelihoods, and diminishing biodiversity.”
The Nature, People, and Climate (NPC) Investment Plan aims to implement six nature-based solutions to combat these threats, requiring a total of US$703.39 million (N$13 billion) over five years. The US$58 million (N$1 billion) commitment from the CIF will serve as seed funding to initiate the plan and attract further investments from international partners, multilateral development banks, and the private sector.
Schlettwein acknowledged that the US$703 million estimate is based on currently available resources but stressed that additional funding would be necessary given the vast scale of environmental challenges across the Zambezi River Basin. He emphasized that the investment plan embodies a shared vision of sustainable development, noting: “The Zambezi Region NPC Investment Plan embodies a shared vision of sustainable development, recognizing that the well-being of the people is inextricably linked to the health of their environment.”
Presenting the plan, Schlettwein emphasized its transformative approach, stating: “This transformative plan is designed to advance nature-based solutions in addressing the complex interplay of human activities, climate change, and ecosystem degradation in the Zambezi Watercourse.” He noted that the plan’s development was made possible by the generous financial support of the CIF.
ZAMCOM is an intergovernmental organization that unites the eight riparian states sharing the Zambezi River Basin: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its primary goal is to promote the equitable and sustainable use of the Zambezi's water resources.
Schlettwein highlighted the river’s critical role, explaining: “It is the lifeline for about 51 million people across eight riparian states, providing essential resources such as potable water, land resources, forest products, wildlife, fish stocks, hydropower, as well as supporting spiritual and recreational activities.” He described the basin as a complex and diverse biome composed of open water systems, wetlands, floodplains, and forests that host a wide range of biodiversity.
However, the basin is under threat from increasing climate variability, unsustainable land use practices, and environmental degradation, jeopardizing its long-term sustainability. Schlettwein pointed to the critically low water levels at the Kariba Dam, the largest artificial lake in the system, which had dropped to 6% before the current runoff season began in November 2024. He warned: “This on its own must be an early warning of what climate change and a resultant freshwater cycle instability can and will bring about.”
Schlettwein further stressed the potential impact of these challenges, stating: “These disasters will obviously manifest themselves not only in lost power generation, but equally in lost food production, destroyed livelihoods, and diminishing biodiversity.”
The Nature, People, and Climate (NPC) Investment Plan aims to implement six nature-based solutions to combat these threats, requiring a total of US$703.39 million (N$13 billion) over five years. The US$58 million (N$1 billion) commitment from the CIF will serve as seed funding to initiate the plan and attract further investments from international partners, multilateral development banks, and the private sector.
Schlettwein acknowledged that the US$703 million estimate is based on currently available resources but stressed that additional funding would be necessary given the vast scale of environmental challenges across the Zambezi River Basin. He emphasized that the investment plan embodies a shared vision of sustainable development, noting: “The Zambezi Region NPC Investment Plan embodies a shared vision of sustainable development, recognizing that the well-being of the people is inextricably linked to the health of their environment.”
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