The Songwe River is at the centre of attention in Malawi and Tanzania. Both countries want to develop the basin of this watercourse as a natural boundary. To this end, a joint commission was recently launched in Kyela District, Mbeya region (Tanzania) by Joseph Mwanamvekha, Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water, and Jumaa Aweso, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Water and Irrigation. The body aims to facilitate investment in development projects around the Songwe River.
The 472 km long Songwe River originates in Poroto-Berge, Tanzania, zigzags between the two borders before flowing into Lake Malawi. “The objective of the commission is to supervise the management of the river basin resources for the benefit of the populations of the two neighbouring countries,” according to the Tanzanian and Malawian authorities.
Expected hydraulic projects!
The new commission is being formed as the two countries are already working together on the 180 MW Songwe hydroelectric project. The dam and power plant will be located south of the town of Itumba, 120 km from Mbeya. The feasibility study of the project, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), has been carried out since 2015. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) has also been completed since 2017.
The project requires a $829 million investment to complete. Tanzania and Malawi, seeking financing, have already obtained the AfDB’s agreement to invest in this project. The energy produced will be equally divided (90 MW) between Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) and Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited, the two companies that provide public electricity services in the two respective countries.
In addition to this hydroelectric project, the Tanzania-Malawi Joint Commission on Songwe River Basin Management is developing an irrigation project. The initiative covers 6,000 hectares of plantations on both sides of the border. Irrigation water will be pumped from the Songwe Dam.
In East Africa, the joint initiative of countries for the development of watercourses is an attractive practice. This is evidenced by the recent collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia in the construction of the Batoka Gorge Dam on the Zambezi River. The project is led by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), an organisation owned by both states. The future Batoka Gorge hydroelectric power plant will provide 2,400 MW divided equally between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Jean Marie Takouleu