Requirements gathering in Tanzania

From 2 to 4 May, 2017 the EO4SD was in Dar es Salaam to present and discuss how Earth Observation can support the Zambezi Watercourse Commissions (ZAMCOM).

The meeting was attended by ZAMCOM’s members of the Joint Project Steering Committee (JSPC), which is sub-committee of by the ZAMCOM Technical Committee (ZAMTEC). JSPC are mandated to oversee technical implementation of projects and clearing major outputs and processes for ZAMTEC’s consideration and/or approval. JSPC members are representatives nominated by each of the eight Zambezi Riparian States. As outlined in the ZAMCOM Agreement, ZAMCOM functions include collecting, evaluating and disseminating all data and information on the Zambezi Watercourse, and advising Member States on the planning, management, utilization, development, protection and conservation of the Zambezi Watercourse. The contribution of EO4SD will seek to provide a broad support across the Zambezi River Basin and coalescing around the agreed objectives outlined in the ZAMCOM Agreement, and in particular supporting two of its major activities i.e. the Strategic Plan for the Zambezi Watercourse (ZSP) and the Zambezi Water Resources Information System (ZAMWIS) Decision Support System (DSS).

About ZAMCOM

The Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) is a river basin organization set up by countries that share the Zambezi River Basin. The Riparian States to the Zambezi River Basin are: the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Botswana, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of Tanzania , the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Zimbabwe. ZAMCOM promotes and coordinates the cooperative management and development of the Zambezi Watercourse through the ZAMCOM Agreement, which provides a unifying framework for defining a series of common development goals of the riparian states and regional organizations relating to the integrated development and management of water resources in the Zambezi River Basin.