GOM SIGNS ZAMBEZI WATER COMMISSION TO STEM WATER

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000678

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR OES/PCI
GABORONE FOR REO (TPIERCE)
DEPT OF INTERIOR FOR USBR/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (MHOOD)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG EAID ECON MI
SUBJECT: GOM SIGNS ZAMBEZI WATER COMMISSION TO STEM WATER
WEED PROBLEM

REF: A. LILONGWE 585


B. LILONGWE 45

C. 03 LILONGWE 935


1. (U) Upon his return from the July 15 Zambezi Water
Commission (ZAMCOM) signing ceremony, Minister of Mining,
Natural Resources, and Environment Davis Katsonga said the
GOM hoped the Commission would help solve the Shire River's
continuing difficulties with water weeds, which are a root
cause of the current electricity supply problems. "When the
agreement is ratified," Katsonga said, "hopefully in the next
session of Parliament, Malawi will ask Tanzania to look at
how the weeds problem can be dealt with from their side."
ZAMCOM, which aims to promote, support, coordinate, and
harmonize the management and development of water resources
in the Zambezi watershed, allows signatories "to accuse or
call for remedial measures" if there is mismanagement in
upstream countries, according to the Minister.

COMMENT
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2. (SBU) ZAMCOM is the first agreement on water resource
management that Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi, the three
countries that border Lake Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa, have all
signed. Although the Commission does not apply specifically
to the Lake, it should provide an underlying framework for
engagement on water issues.


3. (SBU) The decision to join ZAMCOM also marks a change in
the GOM's foreign policy regarding the Lake. Due to concerns
over territorial and usage rights on the Lake (reftel C),the
GOM had previously avoided bi-lateral and multi-lateral
agreements that supported Tanzania's claims to actually own
(rather than to have usage rights of) parts of the Northern
end of the Lake. It appears that although the GOM may not
publicly announce a policy change, the pressing need to
coordinate on Lake management issues has forced the GOM to
relax its position.
RASPOLIC