Agreement reached at the Tripartite Ministerial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Water Affairs

Filename: 1991-TripartiteMinisterialIncomatiRiver.EN.txt

TRIPARTITE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF MINISTERS REPONSIBLE FOR WATER AFFAIRS HELD ON THE 15th FEBRUARY, 1991 IN SWAZILAND

Source: http://ocid.nacse.org/tfdd/tfdddocs/491ENG.pdf, downloaded 20130726

Acceptance by the Ministers responsible for Water Resources concerned with the Inkomati River Basin of the Recommendations of the Tripartite Technical Committee

The Ministers from Swaziland, Mozambique and RSA held discussions on the utilization of the water resources of the Inkomati River Basin.

Agreement was reached on the following:

1. That a joint study of the water resources, demands and development potential on the whole Inkomati River Basin be undertaken. The terms of reference of the study will be finalised as a matter of urgency at TPTC level. The RSA offered to finance the study estimated to take about 12 months.

2. That the first phase of the Komati River Development (consisting of the Driekoppies and Maguga Dams) proceed.

3. Pending agreements resulting from the Joint Study, the following interim measures have been agreed:

a) That in order to satisfy present demands in the reach from Ressano Garcia to the confluence of the Sabie River in Mozambique, a cross-border release of 2 cubic metres per second averaged over a cycle of 3 days be maintained.

b) That the RSA will not construct any new water works with a storage capacity in excess of 250,000 cubic metres or an abstraction rate exceeding 110 litres per second in the Sabie River sub-catchment without prior consultation at TPTC level in accordance with the Helsinki Rules and the 1964 Rivers agreement between the parties concerned.

MINISTER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND

MINISTER FOR CONSTRUCTION AND WATER, REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE

MINISTER FOR WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Piggs Peak, Swaziland, 15 February 1991.