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dam-l Okavango pipeline article/LS

This refers to a new analysis of the Okavango Pipeline by IRN.


     October 6, 1999 - Web posted at 08:47 a.m. GMT

     Think twice before you pump water from Delta,
     says Chief

     CHRISTOF MALETSKY

     THE Paramount Chief of the BaTawana in the Okavango Delta of
     Botswana has appealed to the Namibian Government to give serious
     consideration to alternatives before deciding to pump water from
     the Okavango Delta.

     The youthful Kgosi Tawana Moremi II said on Monday evening he was
     aware of Namibia's serious water crisis but called on the
     authorities to follow the example of Botswana which has abandoned
     a similar water pumping scheme.

     Moremi II said the Delta represents a significant resource in the
     region and is a key feature of the regional tourism market, which
     provides thousands of jobs and helps generate US$250 million in
     revenue for Botswana each year.

     "But there are people not related to tourism and who have no
     connection to the tourism industry. They, on a daily basis,
     sustain themselves from the river and I am representing those
     people. It is definitely not the last time that you hear of us
     and the Okavango Delta," he said.

     The Paramount Chief of BaTawana (the Okavango region) was
     speaking at the handing over of a report by the International
     Rivers Network and Conservation International on the future of
     the 15 000 square kilometre Okavango Delta to the Technical Team
     Leader of the Namibia Water Resources Management Review, Samuel
     Goagoseb, in Windhoek.

     The report states that Namibia will not need to pump water from
     the Okavango Delta if Government takes emergency steps as soon as
     2002 to secure the country's future water supply.

     The Namibian Government is keen to pipe up to 20 million cubic
     meters of water a year from the shared Okavango river upstream of
     the Delta.

     However, Namibia's intentions have alarmed environmental and
     tourism groups which fear the scheme will damage the river basin,
     in particular the river's delta in Botswana.

     As a result the Cabinet agreed that further detailed
     investigations into a plan to complete the Eastern National Water
     Carrier be carried out before the pipeline is built in the next
     four-and-a-half years. The Cabinet also endorsed a full
     environmental assessment study of the proposed pipeline.

     Goagoseb promised that the Technical Team of the Namibia Water
     Resources Management Review will study the report carefully,
     adding that he was sure it would study the report carefully,
     adding that he was sure it would benefit their work.

     The report states that even in a worst case scenario - that it
     stops raining and surface supplies are exhausted by 2001 -
     Namibia has the infrastructure to withstand another drought
     without taking the momentous and costly step of building the
     Okavango pipeline.

     "With effective demand management, large-scale artificial
     recharge, emergency pumping of aquifers, an expanded reclamation
     system, a connection to the Berg Aukas mine, and possibly new
     aquifers developed by that time, a possible supply deficit as a
     result of drought could be managed without too much upset to
     people or the economy," it states.

     Given Namibia's existing ability to handle a possible crisis, it
     said the country has an opportunity to focus on the long-term
     planning goal of sustainable water resources management.

     The report acknowledges that, compared to many of its neighbours,
     Namibia has already made significant advances towards this goal.

     This includes the creation of an exemplary water conservation
     programme in Windhoek, the near-completion of a comprehensive
     water sector review and the drawing up of a national demand
     management assessment.

     "More needs to be done, however. The Water Act and water policies
     need to be updated and revised, artificial recharge should be
     further explored, demand management should be instituted
     nationwide, economics should be applied more effectively, and
     emerging technologies need to be monitored for eventual inclusion
     in the central supply system," the report says.

     With effective planning and continued commitment to sustainable
     water management by all Namibians, the country can continue to
     grow and prosper without having to consider building an expensive
     pipeline to the Okavango river for a very long time, the report
     adds.

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Steve Rothert
International Rivers Network
Okavango Liaison Group
Plot 253 Moremi Road
Private Box 2723
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267-353-337, Fax: 267-359-337
Email:  stever@info.bw
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