The Global Environment Facility has approved a $9.45 million grant to support climate-resilient water governance in the Zambezi River Basin, a critical transboundary water system in Southern Africa. The regional project, led by the African Development Bank Group, aims to strengthen ecosystem protection, climate adaptation and cooperative water management across one of Africa’s most important shared river basins.
Spanning eight countries—Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe—the Zambezi Basin supports more than 51 million people through hydropower generation, agriculture, fisheries and globally significant ecosystems such as the Barotse Floodplain and the Zambezi Delta. However, climate variability, declining river flows, deforestation, pollution and fragmented governance have placed increasing pressure on water, energy and food security in the region.
The project will enhance the capacity of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission and its member states to implement an integrated Water–Energy–Food–Environment approach aligned with regional frameworks. Climate-risk-informed planning tools, improved data systems and harmonised environmental and social assessment processes will support more coordinated and sustainable decision-making across the basin.
To manage growing hydrological variability, the initiative will pilot adaptive dam-operation and environmental-flow rules designed to balance hydropower production, flood management and ecosystem protection. Innovative financing mechanisms, including payments for ecosystem services and user-fee models, will also be introduced to help secure long-term funding for water and ecosystem management.
The project places strong emphasis on social inclusion, ensuring that women, youth and local communities play an active role in planning, implementation and monitoring. Knowledge sharing and regional learning will be embedded throughout the initiative to strengthen cooperation and spread best practices across countries.
The GEF grant is expected to mobilise more than $140 million in co-financing from governments, multilateral climate funds, development partners and the private sector. Together, these investments aim to improve water quality, restore ecosystems and enhance climate resilience, contributing to sustainable development and long-term environmental benefits across Southern Africa.
