/ 22 March 2000

WATER SHARING IN PIPELINE

SOUTH Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique are drafting a trans-frontier water sharing agreement to develop tripartite projects. Swaziland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives principle secretary, Noah Nkambule, said technicians from the three countries would complete a draft agreement by June 30. The agreement and a linked implementation plan will include a detailed environmental impact assessment covering possible impact on local vegetation, wildlife, soil, water quantity, air quality, human health, recreation, cultural heritage and woods supplies for fuel. Swaziland’s Lower Usuthu water scheme, worth R900 million, and the Maguga dam, are two trans-frontier projects that already benefit people in all the three countries.