The governments of Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa signed a USD 71 million (approximately E1.26 billion) agreement to carry out a six-year programme aimed at enhancing transboundary management of the Incomati and Maputo River Basins.
This agreement, signed in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, yesterday, officially launches the initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with USD 7.1 million (around E126 million), supplemented by USD 64 million (approximately E1.14 billion) from the three countries and partners.
According to a press release from the UNDP Eswatini, the programme will be managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP), working closely with national water authorities and regional bodies.
The programme’s goals include:
• Restoring more than 12,800 hectares of crucial ecosystems
• Promoting sustainable practices across 35,900 hectares
• Implementing gender-responsive livelihood strategies and climate adaptation
• Enhancing scientific cooperation and regional governance structures
Signatories include UNDP Eswatini Resident Representative Henrik Franklin, Eswatini’s Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, Lindiwe Mbingo, South African Chief Director of International Water and Cooperation at the Department of Water and Sanitation, and Mozambican General Director of the Southern Region Water Administration Edgar Chongo.
Henrik Franklin, the UNDP Eswatini Resident Representative, praised the agreement as a symbol of the shared commitment of the countries to environmental stewardship and regional cooperation.
“Today marks an extraordinary milestone in the collective effort by Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini to strengthen integrated river basin management and sustainable livelihoods across borders, supported by the valuable funding from the GEF and in partnership with UNDP and GWP. As the GEF-Accredited Agency, UNDP’s role is to facilitate fund disbursement, ensure GEF policy compliance, and provide technical oversight and support for successful project implementation,” he stated.