Past and Present Hydro Politics, Civlizations and Prospective Futures in the Zambezi River Basin

The paper raises issues in hydro politics and hydro political complexes,places this within the realm of political and social/human ecology and conceptually affirms the complex nature of the politics of river basin management.It then provides a few insights into some of the hydro political issues in the Zambezi River Basin(ZRB),shared by 8 countries,during the pre-colonial period,the colonial period,and the contemporary post-independence situations.The scenarios envisaged for the next several decades are then raised from policy and consultants' documents.Issues that have been enduring throughout the three periods are noted and assessed for their input into the future of the river basin.The major point of this paper is to illustrate the complex mosaic of actors,interests,intrigues that needs to be accounted for in considering river basin hydrology and the politics surrounding management of the interests around that hydrology.The problems of managing resources that are viewed as international within the confines of national interests are noted.National self-interest is noted to be only protected within the rubric of international and supranational consideration.The enduring impacts of history,especially the interests of indigenous people of the region are emphasized.As well,an enduring aspect of the political economy of the basin is that the society is largely a-grarian in nature.Hydro Politics of river basin management in the context of largely agrarian economies whose other natural endowments render it ripe for exploitation by outsiders needs to be better articulated.Hydro Politics in such contexts would be extremely limited and incomplete without recourse to the exploitation of the other natural resources.Research into the amalgam of issues raised here must be enhanced,very significantly.This paper in essence juxtaposes natural resource complexes and the issues around governance,distribution and redistribution of values and benefits to various actors and interests in ZRB.Water and river basin management is an intensely complex political subject within the purview of natural resource endowments.