A Critical Assessment of Hydropolitics in Southern Africa : Water as a Potential Factor for Conflict and a Challenge for Co-operation in Southern Africa

Towards the Establishment of an International Water Regime in Southern Africa Water security in the Southern African region is increasingly being acknowledged as an issue of real concern given rising demographic patterns and its indispensable role in the economic development of sectors such as industry and agriculture. Since the flow of water does not respect political boundaries, co-operation in measures leading to consultations, joint planning and water management frameworks remain the only options for a sustainable future in a prevailing emerging era of ecological interdependence. It is therefore imperative that basin-wide regimes redressing the institutional and legal framework governing water rights and allocation issues be established at the regional level in order to promote equity in the utilisation of shared water resources as envisaged in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Water Protocol.