LAKE MALAWI/NYASA/NIASSA INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS

UNCLAS GABORONE 001668

SIPDIS


STATE FOR AF/S AND OES/PCI

DEPT INTERIOR FOR USBR/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - M. HOOD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID MI MZ TZ
SUBJECT: LAKE MALAWI/NYASA/NIASSA INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS
CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR MARCH 2006

REFS: (A) 04 LILONGWE 585; (B) 04 LILONGWE 45; (C) 03

GABORONE 2152; (D) 03 GABORONE 1504; (E) 03 LILONGWE 935;
(F) 03 LILONGWE 534

Summary
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1. The OES Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
have initiated a $200,000 project to promote collaborative
management efforts on Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa (LMNN) among
the three Lake nations -- Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
This initiative is designed to advance USG regional security
goals by building trust and strengthening regional
cooperation between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania
concerning joint management of a shared water resource. It
also addresses economically critical issues related to
invasive aquatic weeds and their impact on electricity
production and other income generation activities. The OES
Southern Africa Hub Officer visited Malawi October 11-14 to
plan a tri-nation invasive aquatic weeds conference with
officials of the Government of Malawi and the American
Mission. It is planned to hold the conference in late March
in Malawi under the auspices of the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC). End summary.

Background
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2. In October 2003, the OES Southern Africa Hub Officer,
Ted Pierce, who is based at the American Embassy in
Gaborone, Botswana, met with officials of SADC's Water
Division to discuss collaboration within the context of the
SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems. The Hub
Officer, together with two officials from USBR (one a
scientist with technical expertise in invasive aquatic
weeds),then visited Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania to
assess existing initiatives in cooperative management of
LMNN and design follow-on activities.


3. In October 2004, the Hub Officer met with SADC and
senior water officials of the Governments of Malawi,
Mozambique and Tanzania in Gaborone. He informed the
officials that the U.S. Government remained committed to
promoting cooperation on key lake issues by funding a tri-
nation conference designed to target the specific urgent
technical need to control invasive aquatic weeds. It was
agreed that a conference would be held, with Malawi taking
the lead in organizing the endeavor.


4. It is important to note that the U.S.-sponsored LMNN
project will be implemented in collaboration with SADC and
in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse
Systems, which was signed in August 1995 to avoid the
threats of water scarcity through enhanced regional water
governance. The project will support ongoing efforts of
SADC and the three Lake countries to jointly manage critical
issues affecting the Lake and will contribute to the
overarching goal of the SADC Water Sector: "The attainment
of sustainable, integrated planning, development,
utilization and management of water resources that
contribute to an integrated regional economy on the basis of
balance, equity and mutual benefit for all member states."

Government of Malawi Ready to Proceed
--------------


5. During the Hub Officer's October 2005 visit to Malawi,
he met with top officials of the Ministry of Irrigation and
Water Development and the Ministry of Mines, Natural
Resources and Environment -- the two Ministries with the
greatest responsibility for management of Lake
Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa. The Principal Secretary of each
Ministry convened a senior staff meeting with the Hub
Officer to discuss the initiative.


6. The Government of Malawi's response was outstanding.
The senior officials expressed a clear recognition that the
problem of invasive aquatic weeds needs to be urgently
addressed and that the three nations need to start talking
officially about the problem. Both Ministries welcomed the
conference and expressed their willingness to handle
logistical arrangements.

SADC Involvement
--------------


7. The glue that will hold the initiative together is the
SADC Water Division. The Malawian Government officials


highlighted the need to hold the conference under the
auspices of the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems
and requested that SADC invite Mozambique and Tanzania to
the conference.


8. During a subsequent meeting with SADC water officials on
October 21, the Hub Officer verified SADC's interest in
supporting this initiative, providing that the three nations
are willing to participate and that the Malawi Government --
as the host -- requests SADC to become involved.


9. Discussions with the DCM in Embassy Lilongwe indicated
strong support for this initiative as well as the
willingness of the Embassy to facilitate fiscal transactions
through USBR fund cites.

Notional Program
--------------


10. It was agreed that a two-day conference would take
place in late March 2006 at a conference center on the Lake
around the theme: "Tripartite Management of Invasive Aquatic
Weeds on Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa and the Shire River."


11. The objectives of the conference would be:

A.) To review technical developments in the field of
control of invasive aquatic weeds as well as relevant
experiences in such control in the Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa
and Shire River systems.

B.) To develop and agree on a unified plan of action
among the three Lake nations and other interested parties to
guide future efforts to control invasive aquatic weeds.


12. The Principal Secretary of Mines, Natural Resources and
Environment suggested that his Minister might open the
conference. The first day would be devoted to scientific
and "best practices" presentations that would set the stage
for discussion. Presentations would be made by USBR,
experts from the three countries, and other participants as
appropriate. The second day would be devoted to group
discussions of how best to address the problem, culminating
in consensus on an action plan.


13. Careful selection of conference participants will be
very important. About ten participants should attend from
each country, and must include senior representatives of
each Ministry responsible for water and environment, as well
as any other Ministry that is regarded as a key stakeholder
in the management of the Lake. In addition, university
scientists and key NGOs from each country should be invited
as well as active regional NGOs and interested donors.

Recent Updates
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14. Several developments were reported during the Hub
Officer's visit to Lilongwe.

-- According to the Department of Environment, salvinia has
now overtaken water hyacinth as the biggest problem in the
lake/river system.

-- Currently, the Malawi electric company, Electric Supply
Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM),is undertaking mechanical
removal on the Shire River upriver from the water intake
pipes for their hydroelectricity generating plant (Ref A).
There is also a small amount of community-based physical
removal activity.

-- The Department of Fisheries continues to maintain a water
hyacinth bio-control unit at Mangochi, which produces a
weevil that attacks the weed. However, though the unit has
been in existence for many years, its activity is dormant
due to lack of funding.

-- The cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre have successfully
removed weeds from small reservoirs using mechanical means.

Comment
--------------


15. In addition to contributing to USG regional
environmental goals, this initiative will enhance USG
regional security goals thorough contributing to a mechanism
for the nations of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania to
discuss and negotiate issues concerning their shared water


resource. The Hub Officer will work with SADC, the
Government of Malawi, USBR and the Embassies in Malawi,
Mozambique and Tanzania to finalize arrangements for the
conference.

AROIAN


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