Page 24 - CIWA Water Data Revolution Overview Report

Water Data Revolution: Closing the data gap for transboundary water in Africa

Incomati Maputo Watercourse commission:
The Incomati and Maputo River Basins, shared
by Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa,
are vital to the socio-economic development

of the region, with water resources
supporting agriculture, hydropower, industry,
and conservation. The Incomati Basin,
covering 49,000 km² and home to 2.3 million
people, is crucial for irrigation, especially for
cash crops like sugarcane, which fuels the
regional economy, while hydropower dams

meet growing energy needs. The Maputo
Basin, spanning 30,000 km², relies on
irrigation and afforestation, with expanding
commercial agriculture and forestry. To
ensure sustainable and equitable water
sharing, the governments of the three
countries established the Incomati and
Figure 8: Incomati and Maputo River basins. Figure obtained
Maputo Water Commission (INMACOM) in from Tanner et al (2008) .
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2021, building on the Tripartite Permanent
Technical Committee (TPTC) formed in 1983. INMACOM promotes Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM), supports environmental and socio-economic benefits, and strengthens
water resource management through innovative approaches like Water Accounting and the use
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of remote sensing data to overcome data gaps.

17 Tanner, A. & Mndzebele, D. & Ilomäki, J.. (2008). A case study: the approach to the integrated and cooperative management of the water
resources of the Maputo River Basin by Moçambique, Swaziland and South Africa. 53-62. 10.2495/EEIA080061.
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