Local approach to efficient water management

TU Delft project assists local stakeholders in developing joint vision for the Zambezi River

Millions of people in Mozambique are dependent on the Zambezi River, which rises in Zambia and flows into the Indian Ocean via Mozambique. The many varied and often also conflicting interests make water management of this river a difficult task. This leads to such problems as a shortage of water for irrigation in the dry season, and flooded villages in the wet season. In January 2017, TU Delft and partner organisations started the NICHE project Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management in order to assist the river's stakeholders in developing a joint vision for the river. The project is also aimed at professionalising local knowledge of water management.

The Zambezi Valley, through which the Zambezi River flows, is a relatively densely populated area which is economically significant for Mozambique. The river flows through a number of national parks and is important for the fishing, agriculture and mining sectors. Hydroelectric power stations along the river supply electricity to 40 million African households.  The interests of the various stakeholders vary widely, and the lack of a joint approach leads to enormous problems in the areas of safe drinking water, food security and water management. 

As TU Delft professor Luuk Rietveld, supervisor of the project, emphasises, “A shift is needed in the Zambezi Valley from a technology-oriented perspective of water management, in which everyone acts independently, to an integrated approach in which all stakeholders work together to develop efficient, just and sustainable solutions for the entire region. We are also focusing strongly on the transfer of knowledge. Much needed practical on-the-job knowledge includes how to manage reservoirs, flood prediction and water infrastructure.”

Collaboration

The NICHE project Capacity Building for Integrated Water Resources Management is funded via NUFFIC by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project was formulated in response to a study question from the Mozambican governmental institution ADVZ, a development organisation for the Zambezi Valley. It is a collaboration between Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, UNESCO-IHE and the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT).  Starting in January 2017, the project is due to run for four years.

Contact

Prof. Luuk Rietveld, Drinking Water & Urban Water Cycle Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, l.c.rietveld@tudelft.nl, +31 15 27 84732 
Bert Geers, Projectleader TU Delft, E.M.A.Geers@tudelft.nl, +31 15 27 82041