Water is one of the most important resources needed for the development of a country or region. Every aspect of development, from the growing of foodstuffs to the production of industrial goods and hydroelectricity, depends on the reliable availability of sufficient supplies of clean fresh water. Nevertheless, another equally important consideration is the availability of so-called second-order planning; the institutional and social structures needed for the mobilisation and proper management of water resources. These are represented at the national level by state laws, which regulate the different aspects of surface and sub-surface water resources. At the regional and global levels matters are more complicated, as different state and non-state actors are involved. At this level of politics, intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) normally devise and implement regulatory mechanisms or regimes. Within Southern Africa, one such IGO is the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has drawn up two protocols on shared watercourses. This article starts with a description of the spatial, climatic and temporal distribution of water resources within the SADC region. It then looks at the original and revised protocols on shared watercourses and the process of development from the one to the other. The third part provides an overview of water resources management in SADC as related to the Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses.