The development of the ZAMCOM Strategy
Background
The Zambezi Watercourse is a lifeline for about 51 million people across eight countries — Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It feeds homes, farms, hydropower, fisheries, mining, tourism and some of Africa’s richest wetlands, floodplains and wildlife areas. Groundwater underpins many of these uses, yet it is still undervalued and poorly integrated into planning. Fragmented governance, limited data sharing between Riparian States, and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure and monitoring mean we routinely miss opportunities to manage groundwater alongside rivers, boost ecosystem resilience, and secure fair access. Growing demand from population, urbanisation and expanding industries — along with climate change — is intensifying competition for water. Because the Zambezi’s rivers, wetlands and wildlife are tightly linked to climate systems, losing biodiversity (mainly to land conversion for agriculture) weakens the basin’s ability to withstand shocks.
Despite abundant renewable water overall, availability is highly uneven and seasonal. Infrastructure gaps and investment shortfalls are driving economic water scarcity and rising future stress. To protect people, nature and economies, the Zambezi needs smarter, cooperative planning, stronger data sharing and targeted investments that treat groundwater as a strategic asset. Coordinated action by the Zambezi’s Riparian States is essential to strengthen the basin’s resilience to shocks. The ZAMCOM Groundwater Strategy offers a bold, unified approach — integrating groundwater into planning, improving data-sharing, and guiding joint investments to protect people, economies and ecosystems across the Watercourse.
Project objectives
Facilitate across sector collaboration
- Strengthen partnerships between agriculture, water and energy sectors.
- Prioritise groundwater projects, smart technologies and nature-based solutions that benefit multiple sectors.
- Align and harmonise groundwater policies and ongoing initiatives for joint management.
- Manage water, energy, food and ecosystems together so one sector’s growth doesn’t harm another.
- Support efficient irrigation, crop rotation, agroforestry and water-reuse practices to boost yields and protect biodiversity.
- Build coordinated, multi-level data systems to guide decisions and investments.
- Protect and restore ecosystems that buffer groundwater from climate shocks.
- Invest in drought- and heat-tolerant crops, improved storage and low-water energy systems.
- Strengthen soil health and water quality to support long-term food and water security.
- Expand access to groundwater for marginalised communities through training, finance and sustainable technologies.
- Foster local job creation by linking water, energy, food and ecosystem (WEFE) investments.
- Target interventions that boost production efficiency and sustainable livelihoods.
Project progress
The strategy was completed in 2025
Project achievements
After extensive consultation with Riparian States, the ZAMCOM Groundwater Strategy has been completed and is ready for use by the Secretariat in partnership with member countries. This practical, evidence-based roadmap translates regional commitments into clear actions to sustainably manage groundwater across the Zambezi basin.
What the Strategy provides
- Practical guidance for harmonising groundwater policies and regulations across Riparian States.
- A framework for joint data sharing, monitoring and basin-scale planning.
- An investment pipeline prioritising groundwater projects, nature-based solutions and multi-sector technologies.
- Capacity-building tools, stakeholder engagement approaches and templates for pilot projects.
- Measures to promote equitable access, strengthen resilience to climate shocks, and protect ecosystems that sustain groundwater.
Why it matters The Strategy turns collective ambition into coordinated action — improving water security, supporting livelihoods, protecting biodiversity, and unlocking investment opportunities across the basin. By integrating groundwater with surface-water planning and WEFE (water-energy-food-ecosystems) priorities, the basin becomes more resilient, productive and fair.
