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dam-l Okavango delta story/LS

Botswana's Okavango Delta On UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve List

January 17, 2000

Ruth Nabakwe
PANA Correspondent

PARIS, France (PANA) - The paramount chief of the Batawana people of
Ngamiland in Botswana, Kgosi Moremi Tawana, has said
that the inclusion of the Okavango Delta on UNESCO's world heritage list
would guarantee the protection and preservation of the delta
waters.

Chief Tawana spoke Friday as special guest attending a meeting on the
inclusion of the Okavango Delta on the World Biosphere
heritage list, organised by an environmental association, Preserve, in
conjunction with UNESCO's Man and Biosphere and the
Humanity heritage departments.

Representing some 95 percent of the surface water of Botswana, the delta's
future faces a threat due to the rising domestic water needs,
as well as those of neighbouring countries of Namibia and Angola.

According to the preserve association, the delta's inclusion on the
heritage list will create a biosphere reserve of more than 100,000 sq.
km, the largest in the world.

The scheme will seek to prevent the drying up of the Okavango river that
feeds the delta, a phenomenon that may occur as a result of
plans to divert the Okavango river waters being undertaken by Namibia
intended for use in Windhoek.

The delta would be protected from the threat of the disappearance of one of
the richest fauna heritage of Africa due to lack of access to
the delta waters as a result of current activities by cattle raisers,
according to the association.

The area's livestock keepers are said to have erected sanitary barriers to
protect their livestock herds. Already, such actions have
endangered hundreds of thousands of elephants, zebras and buffaloes that
have since perished, according to Preserve.

Angola, Botswana and Namibia share the Okavango river water course. In a
zone characterised by sever aridity, particularly in
Namibia and Botswana, the temptation to utilise the waters of certain
permanent rivers such as the Okavango is great.

Experts say water needs of the countries bordering the river have increased
due to economic development, urbanisation and increased
population growth. Namibia's water consumption estimated at 250 million
cubic metres per year in 1990, is projected to increase to
400, million by around 2005.

In Botswana water consumption levels are projected to increase from 119
million cubic metres per year in 1990 to 336 million in the
year 2020.

In view of such projections, only dynamic water resource development
policies would guarantee the survival and the future economic
development of these countries.

According to chief Tawana, the protection of the delta waters will compel
governments of the three states to look for alternative water
sources in a realistic manner such as ground water and water harvesting
measures.

A tripartite agreement exists between the three states that calls for
consultation on the use of the Okavango waters.

"None of the three states can decide on a dam project that blocks off the
Okavango river for instance without the consent of the other
states," he said.



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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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