“Strengthening integrated transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal zones to ensure ecosystem health &livelihood security”
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Tuesday, 3rd March 2026 Media Advisory
Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania to Launch Joint Transboundary Ruvuma River Basin Project
Inception Workshop to Mark Formal Commencement of USD 7.12 Million GEF-Funded Initiative
The Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, and the United Republic of Tanzania will convene an inception workshop from Wednesday 4th to Thursday 😙5th March 2026 in Tanzania to formally launch a major joint initiative aimed at strengthening integrated transboundary management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its associated coastal and marine ecosystems.
The workshop marks the official commencement of the project titled “Strengthening integrated transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal zones to ensure ecosystem health and livelihood security.”
Valued at USD 7.12 million and scheduled for implementation over 60 months through December 2030, the project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It is led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the GEF Implementing Agency, in partnership with Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and Wetlands International as Executing Agencies.
INCEPTION WORKSHOP DETAILS
Date: 4-5 March 2026
Workshop Format: In-person
Location: Johari Rotana, Dar es Salaam – Tanzania
Hosting Partners: Joint Development and Management of Rovuma /Ruvuma River Basin, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), Wetlands International – East Africa (WIEA)
The Ruvuma River serves as a vital water source for communities, agriculture, and industries across the three member states, but despite its benefits, the basin faces several challenges that include a lack of comprehensive management plans, hampering the sustainable use and conservation of its resources.
The basin is also increasingly vulnerable to the adversities of climate change, manifesting in unpredictable rainfall patterns and extreme weather events. Compounding these challenges is the scarcity of reliable data and the limited involvement of local stakeholders in decision-making processes.
The workshop is expected to lay a strong foundation for coordinated, long-term transboundary cooperation in the Ruvuma River Basin and to reinforce shared commitments among member states toward sustainable basin and coastal management.
The project adopts a comprehensive source-to-sea approach that recognises the interconnectedness of land, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. It aims to safeguard ecosystem integrity while strengthening climate resilience and supporting inclusive, sustainable livelihoods across the basin and its coastal zones.
Implementation will be anchored in regional and national institutions across the three riparian states, with transboundary coordination mechanisms serving as focal custodians for basin-level governance and cooperation.
The Ruvuma River Basin covers an area of approximately 155,000 km2, with the Mozambican territory covering 100,000 km2 (65%), Tanzania covering 52,000 km2 (~34%), while the remaining part is in Malawi, covering 2,500 km2 (<2%).
BACKGROUND
On January 8th, 2024, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) approved the concept note (Project Identification Form (PIF) for the Strengthening integrated transboundary source-to-sea management of the Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal zones to ensure ecosystem health and livelihood security Project. The Project was approved under International Waters focal area.
The approval of the PIF was accompanied by the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) approval which marked the start of the 12-month journey to prepare a full-sized project. The project preparation was kicked through the recruitment of the PPG Consultant, Water, Environment and Beyond (WE&B) to support the preparation of the Project Document (ProDoc), CEO Endorsement Request, detailed budget and workplan, and relevant annexes related to environmental and social safeguards.
The Project design was launched at a stakeholder inception meeting held on 3-4 October 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event was attended by delegates from the Government of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, key partners, private sector, academia and media. This was followed by a series of stakeholder consultations across the Basin targeting Southern Coast Basin (Malawi), ARA Norte (Mozambique) and Ruvuma and Southern Coast (Tanzania) between November to December 2024. The validation workshop for the ProDoc was held in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 20th – 21st January 2025.
As a requirement, the Project was endorsed by GEF focal points in the Basin. The full-sized project was approved by the GEF in August 2025, with a total GEF grant of $7,122,018 and co-financing commitment from Member States partners of co-financing commitments totalling $ 65,490,480. The Project will be implemented for five years until 2030.
For media interviews:
Teresa Chirwa-Ndanga, Head of Communications, Global Water Partnership Southern Africa: teresa.chirwandanga@gwpsaf.org
Priscilla Kagwa , Communications Officer, Wetlands International Eastern Africa: pkagwa@wetlands-eafrica.org
