Components

The project contains the following inter-related components

• Development of Groundwater Drought Management Tools and Guidelines-- more
• Establishment of a Regional Groundwater Management Institute of Southern Africa to continue long term monitoring and the promotion of better management and awareness in the SADC region and  at national levels--- more
• Testing of practical local Groundwater Drought Management Strategies at a pilot level in two areas in the Limpopo River Basin---more
• Research into Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems, their occurrence, vulnerability, value and protection--- more

Targets groups

Primary target groups for the project are the users of groundwater and groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in drought prone areas in southern Africa. The target groups are addressed at three levels:

1. A local level in the two pilot areas;
2. At the river basin level in the Limpopo river basin; and,
3. At the regional level through SADC.

At a local level in the two pilot areas, the principal outcome of the project is learning and demonstration of ground water management techniques in the Limpopo pilot areas so that communities and users of GDEs will be better able to mitigate against the negative effects of groundwater drought in the long term. 

At the national and regional level, the objective is building of consensus on a transborder approach to groundwater management, including tools for management and decision making. Progress towards achieving reduced groundwater drought vulnerability will be measured through:

• The development and implementation of agreed management plans at pilot level;
• An improved ability of local groundwater users and GDEs to survive groundwater drought conditions ;
• The ability of government officials to support the continuation and replication of these interventions; and
• The application of lessons learnt and the use of management tools at regional level.

At the regional scale, the principal outcome is supporting the strategy and institutional option/s that emerge from consensus building processes including regional management tools and the establishment of a regional Groundwater Management Institute of Southern Africa (GMISA).