The Limpopo river is an important source of surface water for economic development in all four riparian states. The relatively high density of population, the existence of major towns and cities in the basin, and the development of a large number of dams to service industries, agriculture and mines all exert considerable pressure on the water resources. The demand for water throughout the Limpopo river basin is high and unevenly spread. Water demand by industry, mining and the formal irrigation agricultural sector accounts for over 75 percent of all water used. For example in the Crocodile river, the estimated water use in 1997 was 508 million cu m per year, of which irrigation accounted for 49 percent, forestry 43 percent and industry, commerce and mining accounted for the remaining eight percent.

Water Supply The basin offers a wide spectrum of shared aquifers. The alluvial aquifers associated with the Limpopo river and its tributaries are of particular importance in areas where river flow is not permanent, and need to be adequately protected against overexploitation, pollution and destruction from abstraction of sand. In the basin there are at least 13 dams with a storage capacity exceeding one cu km – one in Mozambique, eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and one in Botswana. The largest is Massingir dam in Mozambique whose present capacity is estimated at 1.2 cu km.