Zambezi in the spotlight as GoNexus webinar series ends
On 9 April, the GoNexus project, in partnership with the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), hosted a high-level webinar to present findings from the Zambezi Basin case study, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities of implementing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in one of Africa’s most important transboundary river systems.
The Zambezi Watercourse, shared by eight countries, is projected to have a population of 51 million by 2025. Rapid population growth is driving the need for integrated sustainable management of water resources of the basin.
Established in 2004, ZAMCOM coordinates cooperation among the riparian states to ensure sustainable management of water resources across the basin.
Led by Professor Paolo Burlando and Dr. Scott Sinclair from ETH Zurich, the online session showcased an advanced dual-model approach that simulates policy impacts and water flow scenarios in the basin. This innovative modelling aims to support more resilient decision-making under future climate uncertainties.
Moving from research to real-world implementation
Key insights included evidence of increased low-flow trends and more intense rare flood events, with implications for water allocation, agriculture, and hydropower development across the basin’s eight riparian countries.
Stakeholders from FAO, Conservation International, the European Commission, and ZAMCOM emphasized the need to move from research to real-world implementation, urging stronger policy uptake, stakeholder involvement, and financing mechanisms.
‘These sectors are not in competition—they are interdependent. We need to align efforts and prioritise synergy,’ said George Ndhlovu from FAO.
The GoNexus team stressed the importance of stakeholder-led dialogue and modelling as tools to balance trade-offs across sectors to manage trade-offs and build long-term resilience.
Participants called for strengthened collaboration to embed such science-driven insights into policy frameworks managed by ZAMCOM and to contribute to a better acceptance by local communities.
