The history of efforts by the two Governments of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Malawi in addressing the above the challenges, especially the unstable river course and flooding, dates back to the mid-1970s when the then Heads of States of the United Republic of Tanzania (the late Mwl. Julius Kambarage Nyerere) and the Republic of Malawi (the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda) decided to implement activities that would mitigate these challenges. Among the interventions was the implementation of the Stabilization of the Course of the Songwe River Basin Project which commenced in 2001. The project designed three phases which are Feasibility Study (2001 to 2003), Detailed Design and Investment Preparation (2012 to 2015) and Project Implementation. The basin challenges identified during the Feasibility Phase were seen to be best addressed through a programme rather that a project, hence the launch of the Songwe River Basin Development Programme (SRBDP). The SRBDP is a multipurpose transboundary Programme under which the challenges and opportunities resulting from the behavior of the Songwe River are planned to be worked on through various projects. The projects are to cover construction of dams for flood control and hydropower productions, development of irrigated agriculture, water supply, fisheries and tourism to mention a few including non-structural measures including environment management.