work in 2013 and execution of the project from 2014 to 2020. Possible project financiers are DBSA,
GEF and GIZ. The project can be considered to be in Phase 3 of the ICA Project Development Phases.
The major project challenges foreseen are the timely sourcing of project finances and the adoption
of an MoU between the dam operators to facilitate conjunctive and synchronised operation of dams,
as well as information exchange.
Implications of virtual water trading in water resources development and usage in the SADC region
(Project GP‐11)
The project proponents are all the SADC Member States, with the SADC Water Division being the
lead agency. Virtual water (also known as embedded water, embodied water or hidden water)
refers, in the context of trade, to the water used in the production of goods or services. Virtual water
trade in practice means that a country can potentially mitigate its water shortages by importing
large amounts of virtual water, instead of building new water supply infrastructure. For instance, it
takes 1 300 m3 of water on average to produce one metric tonne of wheat. The precise volume can
be more or less, depending on climate conditions and agricultural practices. By importing 100 000
tonnes of wheat a year, a water scarce country has actually imported 130 million m3of water per
year, a very large yielding dam indeed. At the same time, such agricultural exports from water rich
countries could be drivers for economic growth.
A project that brings better understanding to the implications of virtual water among Member States
of SADC and between SADC and the other African RECs should be undertaken. The project would,
among other outputs, propose virtual water trade strategies for both water scarce and water rich
SADC Member States for their mutual benefit, and highlight the water infrastructure requirements
for the proposed water trade strategies.
It is estimated that the total cost of the project would be US$1 million. The project would start with
the drafting of the ToR for the study in 2013, tendering for the consultancy work in 2013 and
execution of the project in 2014. Possible project financiers are DBSA, GEF and the AfDB. The project
can be considered to be in Phase 4 of the ICA Project Development Phases.
The major project challenge foreseen is timely sourcing of project finances.
Investment Projects
There are 21 investment projects which have been included in the Water Sector RIDMP: Inga III
Hydropower, Lesotho Highlands Phase II, Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme, Songwe River Basin
Development Project, Vaal‐Gamagara Water Supply, Ressano Garcia Weir, Lomahasha/Namaacha
Water Supply, Water Supply and Sanitation to 12 Border Locations, Water Supply and Sanitation for
Lubango Phase II, Water Supply and Sanitation for Kinshasa, Lesotho Lowlands Water Supply Scheme
Zone 1, Mombezi Multipurpose Dam, Water Supply and Sanitation to 13 Housing Estates, Movene
Dam, Artificial Recharge of Windhoek Aquifer Phases 2B and 3, Reducing NRW and Increasing Water
Use Efficiency, Nodvo Multipurpose Dam, Ruhuhu Valley Irrigation Scheme, Climate Change
Adaptation to Drought Agro‐region 1, Bulawayo‐Zambezi Water Supply Scheme and Improved
Agricultural Water Application Efficiencies.
Inga III Hydropower (Project RG‐1)
Besides meeting the internal energy needs of the DRC and the BHP Billiton aluminium smelter, excess
power from the Inga III Hydropower project will be exported to the SADC region. No dam will be
constructed for the Inga III Hydropower project. Water will be diverted from the Congo River through
tunnels to the power station. The nominal power station production capacity will be 4 320 MW (16 x
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