Long-standing plans by the Zimbabwean government to draw water from the Zambezi River to supply drought-prone Matabeleland region risk igniting "hydro-politics" that could end up degenerating into a serious conflict in the sub-region. Diplomats, international lawyers and hydrologists said government could not draw water from the 3 000-kilometre river to Bulawayo without the approval of eight Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries whose territories lie in the Zambezi basin.