US embassy cable - 05GABORONE1668

UNCLAS  GABORONE 001668 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/S AND OES/PCI 
 
DEPT INTERIOR FOR USBR/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - M. HOOD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, EAID, MI, MZ, TZ, Environment 
SUBJECT: LAKE MALAWI/NYASA/NIASSA INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS 
CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR MARCH 2006 
 
REFS:  (A) 04 LILONGWE 585; (B) 04 LILONGWE 45; (C) 03 
 
GABORONE 2152; (D) 03 GABORONE 1504; (E) 03 LILONGWE 935; 
(F) 03 LILONGWE 534 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  The OES Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) 
have initiated a $200,000 project to promote collaborative 
management efforts on Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa (LMNN) among 
the three Lake nations -- Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. 
This initiative is designed to advance USG regional security 
goals by building trust and strengthening regional 
cooperation between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania 
concerning joint management of a shared water resource.  It 
also addresses economically critical issues related to 
invasive aquatic weeds and their impact on electricity 
production and other income generation activities.  The OES 
Southern Africa Hub Officer visited Malawi October 11-14 to 
plan a tri-nation invasive aquatic weeds conference with 
officials of the Government of Malawi and the American 
Mission.  It is planned to hold the conference in late March 
in Malawi under the auspices of the Southern Africa 
Development Community (SADC).  End summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
2.  In October 2003, the OES Southern Africa Hub Officer, 
Ted Pierce, who is based at the American Embassy in 
Gaborone, Botswana, met with officials of SADC's Water 
Division to discuss collaboration within the context of the 
SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems.  The Hub 
Officer, together with two officials from USBR (one a 
scientist with technical expertise in invasive aquatic 
weeds), then visited Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania to 
assess existing initiatives in cooperative management of 
LMNN and design follow-on activities. 
 
3.  In October 2004, the Hub Officer met with SADC and 
senior water officials of the Governments of Malawi, 
Mozambique and Tanzania in Gaborone.  He informed the 
officials that the U.S. Government remained committed to 
promoting cooperation on key lake issues by funding a tri- 
nation conference designed to target the specific urgent 
technical need to control invasive aquatic weeds.  It was 
agreed that a conference would be held, with Malawi taking 
the lead in organizing the endeavor. 
 
4.  It is important to note that the U.S.-sponsored LMNN 
project will be implemented in collaboration with SADC and 
in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse 
Systems, which was signed in August 1995 to avoid the 
threats of water scarcity through enhanced regional water 
governance.  The project will support ongoing efforts of 
SADC and the three Lake countries to jointly manage critical 
issues affecting the Lake and will contribute to the 
overarching goal of the SADC Water Sector: "The attainment 
of sustainable, integrated planning, development, 
utilization and management of water resources that 
contribute to an integrated regional economy on the basis of 
balance, equity and mutual benefit for all member states." 
 
Government of Malawi Ready to Proceed 
------------------------------------- 
 
5.  During the Hub Officer's October 2005 visit to Malawi, 
he met with top officials of the Ministry of Irrigation and 
Water Development and the Ministry of Mines, Natural 
Resources and Environment -- the two Ministries with the 
greatest responsibility for management of Lake 
Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa.  The Principal Secretary of each 
Ministry convened a senior staff meeting with the Hub 
Officer to discuss the initiative. 
 
6.  The Government of Malawi's response was outstanding. 
The senior officials expressed a clear recognition that the 
problem of invasive aquatic weeds needs to be urgently 
addressed and that the three nations need to start talking 
officially about the problem.  Both Ministries welcomed the 
conference and expressed their willingness to handle 
logistical arrangements. 
 
SADC Involvement 
---------------- 
 
7.  The glue that will hold the initiative together is the 
SADC Water Division.  The Malawian Government officials 
 
 
highlighted the need to hold the conference under the 
auspices of the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems 
and requested that SADC invite Mozambique and Tanzania to 
the conference. 
 
8.  During a subsequent meeting with SADC water officials on 
October 21, the Hub Officer verified SADC's interest in 
supporting this initiative, providing that the three nations 
are willing to participate and that the Malawi Government -- 
as the host -- requests SADC to become involved. 
 
9.  Discussions with the DCM in Embassy Lilongwe indicated 
strong support for this initiative as well as the 
willingness of the Embassy to facilitate fiscal transactions 
through USBR fund cites. 
 
Notional Program 
---------------- 
 
10.  It was agreed that a two-day conference would take 
place in late March 2006 at a conference center on the Lake 
around the theme: "Tripartite Management of Invasive Aquatic 
Weeds on Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa and the Shire River." 
 
11.  The objectives of the conference would be: 
 
     A.)  To review technical developments in the field of 
control of invasive aquatic weeds as well as relevant 
experiences in such control in the Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa 
and Shire River systems. 
 
     B.)  To develop and agree on a unified plan of action 
among the three Lake nations and other interested parties to 
guide future efforts to control invasive aquatic weeds. 
 
12.  The Principal Secretary of Mines, Natural Resources and 
Environment suggested that his Minister might open the 
conference.  The first day would be devoted to scientific 
and "best practices" presentations that would set the stage 
for discussion.  Presentations would be made by USBR, 
experts from the three countries, and other participants as 
appropriate.  The second day would be devoted to group 
discussions of how best to address the problem, culminating 
in consensus on an action plan. 
 
13.  Careful selection of conference participants will be 
very important.  About ten participants should attend from 
each country, and must include senior representatives of 
each Ministry responsible for water and environment, as well 
as any other Ministry that is regarded as a key stakeholder 
in the management of the Lake.  In addition, university 
scientists and key NGOs from each country should be invited 
as well as active regional NGOs and interested donors. 
 
Recent Updates 
-------------- 
 
14.  Several developments were reported during the Hub 
Officer's visit to Lilongwe. 
 
-- According to the Department of Environment, salvinia has 
now overtaken water hyacinth as the biggest problem in the 
lake/river system. 
 
-- Currently, the Malawi electric company, Electric Supply 
Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), is undertaking mechanical 
removal on the Shire River upriver from the water intake 
pipes for their hydroelectricity generating plant (Ref A). 
There is also a small amount of community-based physical 
removal activity. 
 
-- The Department of Fisheries continues to maintain a water 
hyacinth bio-control unit at Mangochi, which produces a 
weevil that attacks the weed.  However, though the unit has 
been in existence for many years, its activity is dormant 
due to lack of funding. 
 
-- The cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre have successfully 
removed weeds from small reservoirs using mechanical means. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
15.  In addition to contributing to USG regional 
environmental goals, this initiative will enhance USG 
regional security goals thorough contributing to a mechanism 
for the nations of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania to 
discuss and negotiate issues concerning their shared water 
 
 
resource.  The Hub Officer will work with SADC, the 
Government of Malawi, USBR and the Embassies in Malawi, 
Mozambique and Tanzania to finalize arrangements for the 
conference. 
 
AROIAN 
 
 
NNNN