The status of agricultural water use, access, and productivity in the Limpopo Basin — opportunities for poverty alleviation

The Limpopo River Basin supports 14 million people, with a significant portion of the population in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe relying on rain-fed agriculture. Due to highly variable rainfall, resource-poor small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable to weather-related shocks as they lack the means to invest in water-saving technology and storage. To address these challenges, the document recommends strengthening the Limpopo River Basin Commission's capacity, establishing secure land tenure and water rights for rural populations, prioritising water pricing for small-holders, and planning for water resources based on future precipitation scenarios.

• The Limpopo River Basin population of 14 million is distributed across South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, with over ten million South Africans and one million Botswanans residing there.
• Small-scale, resource-poor farmers are highly vulnerable to chronic weather-related shocks because rainfall is highly variable and they lack the resources to invest in water-saving technology or storage.
• Improving the policy environment for natural resource management in the basin requires strengthening the Limpopo River Basin Commission (LIMCOM), securing land tenure and water rights for rural populations, prioritising water pricing for small-holders, and planning for precipitation variations.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2015). The status of agricultural water use, access, and productivity in the Limpopo Basin — opportunities for poverty alleviation. https://cdkn.org/resource/the-status-of-agricultural-water-use-access-and-productivity-in-the-limpopo-basin-opportunities-for-poverty-alleviation

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The status of agricultural water use, access, and productivity in the Limpopo Basin — opportunities for poverty alleviation. 2015. https://cdkn.org/resource/the-status-of-agricultural-water-use-access-and-productivity-in-the-limpopo-basin-opportunities-for-poverty-alleviation.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The status of agricultural water use, access, and productivity in the Limpopo Basin — opportunities for poverty alleviation |date=30 January 2015 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/the-status-of-agricultural-water-use-access-and-productivity-in-the-limpopo-basin-opportunities-for-poverty-alleviation |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2015status, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The status of agricultural water use, access, and productivity in the Limpopo Basin — opportunities for poverty alleviation}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/the-status-of-agricultural-water-use-access-and-productivity-in-the-limpopo-basin-opportunities-for-poverty-alleviation}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }