{"id":5738,"date":"2026-03-10T08:58:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T08:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/?p=5738"},"modified":"2026-05-19T09:09:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T08:09:55","slug":"malawi-mozambique-and-tanzania-formally-launch-implementation-of-joint-transboundary-project-in-the-ruvuma-river-basin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/news\/malawi-mozambique-and-tanzania-formally-launch-implementation-of-joint-transboundary-project-in-the-ruvuma-river-basin\/","title":{"rendered":"Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania Formally Launch Implementation of Joint Transboundary Project in the Ruvuma River Basin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Inception Workshop Launches USD 7.12 Million GEF-Funded Source-to-Sea Initiative for Ecosystem Health and Livelihood Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, and the United Republic of Tanzania are kickstarting the joint implementation of a landmark transboundary initiative aimed at strengthening integrated management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its connected coastal and marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valued at approximately USD 7.12 million and scheduled for implementation over 60 months through December 2030, the project, titled \u201cStrengthening integrated transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal zones to ensure ecosystem health and livelihood security\u201d,<\/em> is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It is led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the GEF Implementing Agency, in partnership with Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and Wetlands International as Executing Agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project adopts a comprehensive \u201csource-to-sea\u201d approach, recognising the interconnectedness of land, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. The initiative seeks to safeguard ecosystem integrity while strengthening climate resilience and promoting inclusive, sustainable livelihoods across the basin and its associated coastal zones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regional and national institutions in the three riparian states will play a central role in implementation. Transboundary coordination mechanisms will serve as focal custodians for basin-level governance and cooperation, ensuring that decision-making processes are collaborative, science-informed, and aligned across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The river serves as a vital water source for communities, agriculture, and industries across the three member states, but despite its benefits, the basin faces several challenges that include a lack of comprehensive management plans, hampering the sustainable use and conservation of its resources. The basin is also increasingly vulnerable to the adversities of climate change, manifesting in unpredictable rainfall patterns and extreme weather events. Compounding these challenges is the scarcity of reliable data and the limited involvement of local stakeholders in decision-making processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ruvuma River Basin covers an area of approximately 155,000 km2, with the Mozambican territory covering 100,000 km2 (65%), Tanzania covering 52,000 km2 (~34%), while the remaining part is in Malawi, covering 2,500 km2 (<2%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BACKGROUND<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On January 8th, 2024, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) approved the concept note (Project Identification Form (PIF) for the Strengthening integrated transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal zones to ensure ecosystem health and livelihood security Project. The Project was approved under International Waters focal area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The approval of the PIF was accompanied by the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) approval which marked the start of the 12-month journey to prepare a full-sized project. The project preparation was kicked through the recruitment of the PPG Consultant, Water, Environment and Beyond (WE&B) to support the preparation of the Project Document (ProDoc), CEO Endorsement Request, detailed budget and workplan, and relevant annexes related to environmental and social safeguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Project design was launched at a stakeholder inception meeting held on 3-4 October 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event was attended by delegates from the Government of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, key partners, private sector, academia and media. This was followed by a series of stakeholder consultations across the Basin targeting Southern Coast Basin (Malawi), ARA Norte (Mozambique) and Ruvuma and Southern Coast (Tanzania) between November to December 2024. The validation workshop for the ProDoc was held in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 20th \u2013 21st January 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a requirement, the Project was endorsed by GEF focal points in the Basin. The full-sized project was approved by the GEF in August 2025, with a total GEF grant of $7,122,018 and co-financing commitment from Member States partners of co-financing commitments totalling $ 65,490,480. The Project will be implemented for five years until 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inception Workshop Marked Formal Commencement of Project Implementation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The inception workshop, that took place from 4 to 5 March 2026 in Tanzania, formally marked the start of project implementation. The workshop helped build a shared understanding of the project\u2019s goals, objectives, and expected outcomes among stakeholders from all three countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond introducing the project, the workshop helped foster ownership and alignment among member states, regional institutions, executing partners, and other key stakeholders. It provided an opportunity to clarify roles and responsibilities within the project\u2019s governance and decision-making structures, including reporting lines, communication channels, and conflict resolution mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Importantly, the terms of reference for the project and decision-making structures were revisited, as needed, to ensure clarity and accountability during implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inception workshop laid a strong foundation for coordinated long-term transboundary cooperation in the Ruvuma River Basin among the three member states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/Ruvuma-River-Basin-Photo-2-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg\" "\\"Ruvuma")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/Official-launch-photo-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg\" "\\"Official")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/IUCN-speaker-card-1200x848-1-1024x724.jpg\" "\\"IUCN")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gwpo-gwp.org\/southern-africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/Wetlands-speaker-card-1200x848-1-1024x724.jpg\" "\\"Wetlands")
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