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

Zambezi Watercourse Commission: The
Zambezi River Basin, spanning 1.397
million km² across eight Southern African
countries—Angola, Botswana, Malawi,

Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia,
and Zimbabwe—supports nearly 30
million people whose livelihoods depend
on its water resources. Agriculture,
particularly irrigation for both small-scale
and commercial farming, is the primary
economic activity, while hydropower

production from major reservoirs like Lake Figure 1: Zambezi River basin. Figure obtained from King et al
Kariba and Lake Cahora Bassa plays a (2014) 18
crucial role in the region’s energy supply, contributing 24% of the Southern African Power Pool’s
electricity. To promote equitable and sustainable water use, the Zambezi Watercourse
Commission (ZAMCOM) was established in 2014 to oversee the management and development
of the Zambezi River Basin. ZAMCOM's mandate includes data collection, harmonizing resource
management, advising member states on sustainable development and conflict resolution, and
raising public awareness. The initiative also supports ZAMCOM's work by advocating for advanced
Water Accounting techniques and the use of remote sensing data to enhance water resource
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management, especially in areas with limited ground data.

5.4. Developing a Water Accounting Dashboard: The Process

The development process of the WA dashboard initiated with an online inception workshop led

by WB and IWMI. The workshop targeted technical specialists from the RBOs with the main
objective of introducing the initiative, explaining the role of the RBO, and gathering insights into
the specific information and data needs of the RBO to support its work in water resources
management within its jurisdiction. These insights provided critical inputs to shape the
dashboard's development to align with the RBO's requirements and needs.

Building on the insights gained from the inception workshop, the development process of the
dashboard began. Once the first prototype was completed, a workshop was organized to present
the prototype to the RBO, provide hands-on training on its use and functionalities, and gather

18 Kling, Harald & Stanzel, P. & Preishuber, Martin. (2014). Impact modelling of water resources development and climate scenarios on
Zambezi River discharge. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 1. 17–43. 10.1016/j.ejrh.2014.05.002.
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