Water conflict and cooperation in Southern Africa

Abstract

Water management of hydrological basins has been the source of low intensity conflicts, specially when shared by more than one state, due to the differentiated water and energy management perspectives, and relatively to isolated water auto-efficiency which every states tends to pursue in an isolated manner. Thus the author shall analyze and demonstrate the superiority of regional cooperation perspectives to the detriment of individual self-efficiency. Issues on the growing securitization of water resources in the political, social and environmental spheres are of growing importance in the cases of the Okavango and Incomati basin, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).