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dam-l Epupa decision delayed/LS



TODAY'S LEAD STORY IN THE NAMIBIAN NEWSPAPER


Epupa verdict put off
(strap)Namibia, Angola still 'dams apart'

CHRISTOF MALETSKY

A FINAL decision on a site for the controversial Epupa hydropower scheme
has now been postponed till next year.
Namibia and Angola failed to meet as scheduled to consider recommendations
on which site on the Kunene river to build the proposed dam.
Acting Director of Energy in the Ministry of Mines, Fernando Vahekeni, on
Friday ruled out any chance that the two sides would meet this year.
The war in Angola is preventing Angolan government representatives from
considering the project.
But Vahekeni would not be drawn into commenting on behalf of the Angolan
government.

NAMIBIA'S PLANS HIT

Namibia had hoped that a firm decision on the site would be taken by
mid-year so the first phase of development could begin.
This includes mobilising funds, tendering, measures to lessen the impact of
the construction of the dam on local people, possible compensation, and the
final drawing up of plans.
Earlier the Director of Energy, Paulinus Shilamba, said the continued
postponement of earmarking a site would definitely affect several key
Namibian programmes.
These are said to include the Haib Copper Mine which will need 180MW,
Scorpion Zinc Mine 70MW, Walvis Bay export processing zone 50MW, Okahandja
Manganese Smelter 130MW and "many others".
"All these projects put pressure on us. And we are importing up 70 per cent
of our power from South Africa at the moment while our power demands
continue to rise. By 2006 we will have need for additional power," he said.
Namibia favours the Epupa site while Angola is pressing for the Baynes site.
The Angolans are believed to be keen on Baynes because it will mean they
will be able to renovate and regulate the Gove dam which was damaged during
the civil war and has not been regulated since 1975.
The Namibian Government contends that the Baynes site is too small, despite
its environmental and social advantages compared to other sites considered.
In contrast the Epupa site is regarded as a prestige site by Namibia.
Namibia also cites the uncertain peace situation in southern Angola, and
the millions of dollars needed to repair the Gove dam as factors in favour
of the larger Epupa site.
The final report of the feasibility study by a consortium of Namibian,
Swedish, Norwegian and Angolan consultants states that the environmentally
more damaging Epupa Falls dam site would be the more economically viable
option for the controversial project.
The Baynes site, some 40 km downstream from the Epupa falls, is considered
as less likely to be economically viable. This is because the operation of
a hydro-electricity scheme there would be dependent on the regulation of
the flow of the Kunene river by the war-damaged Gove Dam.
Acknowledged shortcomings in the draft final report - which had to be
addressed before the completion of the final report - included the
incomplete consideration of measures to lessen the impact on the Himba
communities affected by the scheme and who have strongly opposed the dam
plans.
The draft final report put the total price for the Epupa site project at
US$539,4 million - around N$3 236,4 million - and the cost of the Baynes
site scheme at US$551,2 million (around N$3 307,2 million).

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      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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