Tor-bridge/(Oes) for Ruvuma Basin

**CONSULTANCY
**CONSULTANCY FOR THE DESIGNING, DEVELOPMENT AND**
**IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY RUVUMA BASIN**

**WEBSITE
**Introduction**
Transboundary water cooperation in the SADC region is embodied in the cooperative framework
of the Revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses (2000). The Revised Protocol aims to “foster
closer cooperation for judicious, sustainable and co-ordinated management, protection and
utilisation of shared watercourses and advance the SADC agenda of regional integration and
poverty alleviation”. Based on Article 22 of the SADC Treaty, the Revised Protocol spells out the
objectives and scope of institutional mechanisms for cooperation in water institutions. The SADC
Regional Water Policy (2005) highlights the various opportunities water management presents to
achieving SADC goals and objectives. Further, the Regional Water Strategy provides strategies for
implementation, expressed through the Regional Strategic Action Plans on Integrated Water
Resources Management (RSAP), produced every five years. The current RSAP V, thus, allows for the
water sector to respond to regional development priorities as articulated in the vision of the
Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) in support of regional integration while
responding to current needs in the region.

The SADC Water Division promotes the cooperative management of shared watercourses in the
region through the effective implementation of the RSAP. In line with RSAP V and the pursuit of
Sustainable Development Goal 6.5.2, the SADC Water Division continues to support the
strengthening of shared watercourse institutions. It is against this background that IUCN, the GIZ
Transboundary Water Management Programme and the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa
supporting the SADC Water Division, would like to support the Ruvuma Joint Water Commission
(JWC) to enhance water cooperation in the basin.

Ruvuma River is 800 kilometres long, with a drainage basin of 155, 500km2 and forms the border
between Tanzania and Mozambique. About 65.39% of the basin falls in Mozambique and 34.30%
is in Tanzania, with a negligible 0.31% in Malawi. Ruvuma River provides the basin population with
a reliable source of water for various uses, including domestic, agricultural and industrial use. Once
dubbed SADC’s ‘last pristine basin’, the river harbours significant biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
Despite the benefits provided by the basin, the three countries have been experiencing some
challenges in the management of the basin, including the lack of a sustainable framework to guide
the integrated planning and management of the basin, climate-induced extremes, lack of reliable
data and information, and limited stakeholders’ participation in resource management.

**Rationale**
These challenges have prompted two of the riparian countries (Mozambique and Tanzania) to
pursue stronger water cooperation - establishing the Ruvuma River Joint Water Commission (RJWC)
in 2006. However, the JWC has been dormant for a while and has not undertaken any of the
identified tasks in the basin, mostly due to resource constraints. Lately, the countries have come
together and agreed to establish a basin RBO with an effective secretariat that will coordinate basin
projects. This presents a perfect opportunity for IUCN’s Building River Dialogue and Governance
(BRIDGE) Programme, supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the OES
Sustainable Cooperation on Shared Waters Facility, to employ its tested tools to foster better
cooperation and effective basin planning in Ruvuma.

Implemented by IUCN and regional partners, BRIDGE works at the interface of hydro-diplomacy
and local governance to promote new approaches in transboundary water management by
facilitating cooperation, strengthening inter‐governmental capacities and creating spaces for
dialogue and agreements. The aim of the BRIDGE intervention in Ruvuma is to revive the RJWC, as
an important dialogue platform, and enhance the members’ capacity in water diplomacy,
sustainable basin financing and gender mainstreaming. BRIDGE will establish an effective, inclusive
transboundary stakeholder platform and support efforts to enhance basin planning, particularly the
drawing up of basin plans and implementation strategies

BRIDGE appreciates the need for enhanced information exchange, related to transparency,
accountability, and participation amongst a much wider range of stakeholders. The forthcoming
agreements between Mozambique and Tanzania will be based on efficient communication,
information management and data exchange to enhance coordination and stakeholder
participation for sustainable basin management. Therefore, this Consultancy is for carrying out a
detailed requirements analysis for the Ruvuma Basin website, implementing and publishing it with
the functional specifications as needed by basin stakeholders.

**Overall Objective**
To design, develop and maintain a