Southern Africa
IWMI resident operations in the region commenced in November 2000 with the opening of its office in Pretoria under an agreement with the Government of South Africa. This built upon the foundation IWMI had laid since 1998 through the partnerships it had forged with several institutions, including universities, research institutes, NGOs, and government agencies as well as the collaborative research programs IWMI had initiated (on a non-residential basis) in the Olifants-Limpopo river basin of South Africa.
The Southern Africa office today employs six researchers (representing 6 nationalities with 50% from developing countries) and four support staff who are all South African nationals.
IWMI Southern Africa also hosts the Southern Africa of the Global Water Partnership (GWP-SA) at its Pretoria premises, with which it shares interests and conducts collaborative activities around integrated water resources management.
IWMI Southern Africa has a portfolio of about 15 projects, which notably includes leadership of three projects under the Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) implemented in the Limpopo Benchmark Basin. These projects encompass work at different scales, ranging from field level, through system and basin levels, to national and international levels. A key guiding principle in all IWMI’s work is the emphasis on collaborative research & partnerships (with government and non-government agencies, national & international research organizations, universities, networks).
A variety of outreach & capacity building programs and knowledge roles complement and strengthen IWMI Southern Africa’s research. Some of them are enumerated below:
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Postgraduate student support, hosting visiting scientists, sabbaticals and interns
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Workshops and policy dialogues
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Running training programs and contributing to curriculum development
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Technical and policy inputs to various national and regional fora
IWMI Southern Africa also hosts two regional organizations at its Pretoria premises, with which it shares interests and conducts collaborative activities around policy analysis and integrated water resources management:
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FANRPAN (Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Network)
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GWP-SA (Global Water Partnership-Southern Africa)