BY. JIMMY KIANGO
The Ruvuma Basin is one of the most important landscapes in Africa. Its future will depend on how we collectively manage development and conservation.
A project aimed at strengthening transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal areas to ensure the health of ecosystems and the security of people’s livelihoods has been tasked with overseeing development and conservation efforts.
The Chairperson of the Ruvuma Basin Joint Management and Development Project, who is also the Director General of ARA-Norte, IP, Carlitos Momade Omar, said there are five key areas that must be prioritized to achieve the project’s objectives.
These areas include strengthening institutional systems, improving science-based decision-making, increasing investment and resource mobilization, and enhancing the capacity to implement policies and laws.
In his opening remarks, Omar said that community participation—especially of women and youth—will be increased, while the private sector will be encouraged to participate in sustainable financing mechanisms.
“It is a great honor for me to officially open the Launch Workshop of the Project to Strengthen the Source-to-Sea Transboundary Management of the Ruvuma Basin.
On behalf of the member countries of the Ruvuma Basin and our host, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, I warmly welcome you all to this important workshop.
By coming here from your respective countries, you have demonstrated your genuine commitment to strengthening development cooperation and joint management of the Ruvuma Basin,” he said.
THE BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY
Speaking about the origins of the project, Omar said that the project did not start today, but rather is the result of a long process.
He explained that the journey has been built on years of dialogue, basin studies, and technical cooperation, and most importantly the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2024 in Dar es Salaam by the three governments.
The project began with a Project Identification Form in 2024, and it was fully approved in 2025 with a budget of USD 7,122,018 (more than TZS 18 billion) provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The project will be implemented over five years (2025–2030).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Omar expressed his gratitude to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding, IUCN for its leadership, as well as partners Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and Wetlands International, and the governments of Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
He said the major value of the project lies in addressing basin challenges through an integrated source-to-sea approach.
“We recognize that land management affects the health of rivers, the health of rivers affects coastal areas, and decisions made in one part of the basin have impacts on other areas.”
He added that the workshop will help align project implementation, review the work plan, clarify institutional roles, and strengthen stakeholder engagement, gender integration, and monitoring systems.
While officially opening the workshop, he said:“It is my hope that through this workshop we will strengthen our cooperation, build trust, and ensure that the well-being of people and the environment becomes the central focus of our decisions.”
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