Stakeholder participation. Easier said than done

Twenty-seven nations are classified as ‘water scarce’, a further 16 as ‘water stressed’. This situation, coupled with the fact that many surface and groundwater systems are shared between two or more states, has led governments to develop sustainable water management strategies. This implies a real commitment by all water users – households, farmers, and industrialists – to use available supplies in ways that reap sustainable and equitable benefits for all. Drawing on the experience from Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the author discusses some of the challenges of articulating stakeholder participation in a transboundary context.