This page links to the SADC Water Division, and lists the River Basin Organisations (RBOs) in the SADC region. Click on the name of an RBO to access more information. There may be more than one RBO per river basin.

SADC Water Division (SADC WD)

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been in existence since 1980. The main aim of the organization through its member states (Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) is to enhance socio-economic development and regional integration and improvement of the quality of life of all people in the region. The SADC Directorate of Infrastructure and Services through its Water Division provides a platform for its member countries to address water related issues and challenges.

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Website: http://www.sadc.int/water/

Inco-Maputo Tripartite Permanent Technical Committee

The Tripartite Permanent Technical Committee (TPTC) is a collaboration between three SADC member states namely, South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. This committee will help to manage the water flow of the Inkomati River and Maputo River specifically during times of drought and flood, additionally the committee will be looking at how to protect and develop these water resources.

International Commission of Congo-Oubangui-Sangha (CICOS)

With increasing evidence that climate variability and change are impacting on water and associated resources worldwide, the countries of the region have found it imperative to jointly manage the resources of the basin. As a result, the International Commission for the Congo-Oubangui-Sangha Basin, (CICOS), was created in 1999 by Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. The immediate objective was to improve cooperation amongst the member states, through improved communication using the Congo River and its tributaries. A future objective is to promote IWRM, in order to enhance development and alleviate poverty in the member states.

Kunene Permanent Joint Technical Commission (PJTC)

The detailed feasibility investigations and related activities for the first phase of the development of the hydropower potential of the Cunene River and the diversion of water into northern Namibia set in motion by the 1964 agreement culminated in the Third Water Use Agreement of 1969 which initiated the construction of the proposed Cunene River Scheme. This agreement established a Permanent Joint Technical Commission (PJTC) and made provision for Namibia to abstract water at Calueque for diversion to the Cuvelai basin in Northern Namibia.

Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA)

The Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) was established by the governments of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. The LTA promotes regional cooperation required for socio-economic development and sustainable management of the natural resources in the Lake Tanganyika basin.

Limpopo Water Course Commission (LIMCOM)

The Limpopo River is one of the largest river basins in the SADC region, having as co-basin states Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique that formed the LIMCOM - Limpopo Water Course Commission.

Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM)

The Governments of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa formalised the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) through the signing of the "Agreement for the Establishment of the Orange-Senqu Commission" on November 3rd, 2000 in Windhoek, Namibia. ORASECOM was the first commission established following the regional ratification of the SADC Protocol on Shared Water Course Systems.

Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)

In response to the acknowledged need to minimize negative impacts on the unique Okavango river system, while assuring satisfaction of the legitimate social and economic needs of the riparian states, the three Okavango Basin states Angola, Botswana and Namibia signed an agreement in 1994 that formed the Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM).

Ruvuma Joint Water Commission (Ruvuma JWC)

The Governments of the Republic of Mozambique and the United Republic of Tanzania have recently established the Ruvuma Joint Water Commission (Ruvuma JWC) with the principal objective of ensuring sustainable development and equitable utilisation of common water resources of Rovuma/Ruvuma River basin.

Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM)

The ZAMCOM Agreement was signed on July 13, 2004 at Kasane in Botswana, by seven of the eight Zambezi Riparian States. The ZAMCOM Agreement has since come into force following ratification by the required two-thirds majority.