Table 1 summarizes the water resources available for each of the eight basin countries. The orange river is a vast and complex river system located within the southern african development community sadc. The okavango delta in botswana is an area famous internationally for its birds and wildlife and an important source of tourist revenue, but depends on the okavango river which flows from angola via namibia. The political relationship between namibia and angola became very intense during the angolan conflict.
Other options include tours that visit the mighty victoria falls, which straddles the border of zambia and zimbabwe and is one of the biggest, most impressive falls on earth. The okavango river formerly spelled okovango or okovanggo is a river in southwest africa. The okavango drainage basin is from a broad perspective a water poor region that straddles three countries. In the okavango basin, economies are far less reliant on agriculture, with namibia having the highest agricultural contribution at 11.
Water everywhere in angola, but few places to drink. The namibian struggle for independence 1966 1990 a historical background during the 1960s most of africas countries had gained independence except for namibia. The dispute over sedudu island currently serves before the world court. Water wars in southwest africa published on apr 29, 2008 senior project about the tension between angola, namibia, and botswana over water, namely in the okavango river basin. The okavango catchment or subbasin covers an area of some 4,550 km2 in angola, botswana and namibia, with an additional 15,844 km2 contributed by the wetland area of the okavango delta plus its islands in botswana. After more than 37 years of war, angola has enjoyed peace since the ceasefire accords were signed in april 2002. Namibia environmental and climate change policy brief 4 june, 2008 this policy brief was carried out as a desk study in april to may 2008. The kunene transboundary water supply project is a good model of transboundary cooperation in the southern africa development community sadc.
The bbc has reported that there is a potential water war in southern africa involving botswana, namibia and angola. As one of the highest mountains in namibia at 2,573 m 8,439 ft, it formed when ancient magma chambers cooled and began to erode. This demand is expected to increase in angola and namibia due to water. Okavango water war spectre haunts botswana and angola.
Angola, namibia, botswana, swaziland and zambia will be experiencing only quality and dry season water problems. It sustains tens of thousands of delta residents and a growing ecotourism industry. The southern african countries of angola, botswana, and namibia suffer from frequent floods and debilitating droughts. Furthermore, the okavango river is researched and how angola s use of the water effects the countries of namibia and botswana. Its white color is the result of a salt residue left behind from the evaporation of water that annually gathers in this semiarid region. The absence of armed conflict for the first time in the lives of most angolans is, in itself, the most important indication of progress in human rights. Geographically, namibia is made up of savannah, dry scrub land, as well as the kalahari and the namib deserts. The large white feature at the bottom of the view is a dry lake known locally as etosha pan.
Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts in the. Empowering communities to manage natural resources. Namibia s peacemaking efforts in angola underlined its belief that peacemaking was fundamental to maintaining security in the sadc region. The okavango river basin in southern africa colorado law. Namibia, country located on the southwestern coast of africa. The effect of the okavango river on angolas economic stability and. Then water conflicts are focused upon and how proposals and resolutions through legal framework and guidance from outside entities can help provide better usage practices. Africa 2019 took place between 2 and 4 april in windhoek, namibia, with more than 500 participants from 52 nations, including 22 african delegations, and others from europe, asia, north and south america and australasia. Case studies from southern africa 7 preface background to the power relations study this report consists of a series of individual country papers prepared for a study on devolution, community empowerment and power relations in communitybased natural resource management cbnrm during 1999. The okavango delta depends on the water fed by the cubango and cuito rivers that originate from the angolan highlands, passing through. Then water conflicts are focused upon and how proposals and resolutions through legal.
It rises in the lesotho highlands, where it is known as the senqu river, and then flows 2,300. The namibian struggle for independence 1966 1990 a. Since the 1970s, botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages. Like sedudu, the namibians also variedly refer to situngu as luyondo, singobeka, mbala and zoti. The okavango delta is a 15,000squarekilometer rich and varied habitat for thousands of mammals, birds, fish and other animals. It ranges from arid in the north to desert on the coast and in the east. In 1997 namibia had been facing an extended drought and announced plans to divert water from the river, which threatened to become a. An overview of key strategic issues in the okavango basin. Southern africa history, countries, map, population.
Republic of botswana and the republic of namibia shall enjoy equal national treatment. The okavango river rises in the angolan highlands and flows over 1,000 miles, passing through namibia before entering botswana and forming the okavango delta. Border between angola and namibia, southwest africa. Africa 2019 focuses on collaboration for water, energy and food security. There has been growing pressure from angola and namibia to use the. Part of the water science and technology library book series wstl, volume 63. Since the demise of the apartheid era, although the sadc member states such as angola and mozambique have, to a. In fact, there are already several reported cases of. The legacy of 27 years of conflict which ravaged the country from 1975 when it won independence from portugal, until 2002, when unitas. Kariba dam is fed by zambezi river which starts from northern zambia and passes through angola, namibia, botswana into zimbabwe before flushing out to mozambique into the indian ocean. Namibia environmental and climate change policy brief. Sustainable water management in the zambezi river basin. However, the end of the civil war has resulted in a rapid population build up in. Botswana s director of health services has placed his countrys president, mokgweetsi masisi, in selfisolation for 14 days following his visit to namibia for the inauguration of president hage.
Indeed water is already a catalyst for regional conflict. The effect of the okavango river on angolas economic. Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts. It is bordered by angola to the north, zambia to the northeast, botswana to the east, south africa to the southeast and south, and the atlantic ocean to the west. Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts in the okavango river basin. Both namibia and botswana are in severe drought and as a result of this there is a large conflict concerning the use of the rivers water. Angola, botswana and namibia comanage shared river system of.
Water, ecosystem dynamics and human livelihoods in the. One of africas major oil producers, angola is striving to tackle the physical, social and political legacy of a 27year civil war that ravaged the country after. Water rich countries like angola, mozambique, and zambia are less reliant on surface water for irrigation, while namibia receives scant rainfall and relies on groundwater for irrigation. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Water resources in botswana with particular reference to the savanna regions.
To prevent conflict arising from conflicting interests, angola, namibia and botswana formed the permanent okavango river bsin water commision okacom. The river rises in angola, a country that has just emerged from a civil war of three. The war erupts once angola becomes independent of portugal, being the last african colony to achieve its independence, starting within its territories a violent struggle for power. March 1988 south africa rejects the proposed withdrawal of cuban troops from angola as insufficient, but agrees to a tripartite conference with angolan and. Both namibia and botswana experience drought and as a result of this, there have been concerns about possible conflict over use of the rivers water.
It is the fourthlongest river system in southern africa, running southeastward for 1,600 km 990 mi. Botswana and namibia over sedudu kasikili island in the chobe river, which was decided by the international court of justice on december, 1999 in botswana s favor murphy 1999. The botswananamibian boundary dispute in the caprivi. Water and the potential for resource conflicts in southern. The ktwsp will improve the water supply for around 700,000. Farther south, it forms part of the border between angola and namibia, and then flows into botswana, draining into the moremi.
It begins in angola, where it is known by the portuguese name rio cubango. There is also another potential water war in southern africa involving botswana, namibia and angola. Rising unexpectedly from the heart of the namib desert, the brandberg massif, shown in this enhanced satellite image, is an exhumed granitic intrusion. In the dying years of the previous ethiopian government, tensions with egypt increased rapidly when the rulers in addis ababa pondered the construction of dams on the nile. Botswana shares watercourses with angola, lesotho, malawi, namibia, south africa, tanzania, zambia and zimbabwe, of which all. The botswana and namibian governments are currently involved in a dispute with each other over ownership of the small islands of kasikilisedudu, kasikili is the namibian name for the island and situngu in the caprivi strip. Water resources in botswana with particular reference to. Windhoek, jun 7 2012 ips a transboundary initiative aimed at providing clean drinking water and proper sanitation between angola and namibia is making steady progress. Causes and possible solutions to water resource conflicts in the okavango river. In order to appropriately determine the navigability of a water channel, inter alia, depth and width are the most important measures, which must be considered. The utilization of the okavango river basin orb water resources, which falls within the countries of angola, namibia, and botswana, is subject to conflict since the ways in which the resource is.
The island nation of madagascar is excluded because of its distinct language and cultural heritage. Namibia s national society for human rights nshr has called upon the namibian government to opt for a comprehensive negotiated settlement of the caprivi conflict. Clean water and resource conservation in angola, botswana. Although many in these countries reside close to the okavango river which supports the livelihoods of 880,000 people they live in extreme poverty and have limited access to adequate water and sanitation services. The river cuito which begins in angola before heading through the caprivi strip in namibia and ending in the marshlands of the okavango delta in botswana runs through an area that is no stranger to tensions and. With the high rate of evaporation experienced during dry seasons, botswana fears losing more volumes of water through namibia s diversion canal. In september, 1994, angola, namibia, and botswana signed an agreement to.
Indeed, for any regional community, peacemaking is a necessity, a common good, and an ingredient. The river is shared between lesotho, south africa, botswana, and namibia. Transboundary water disagreements between south africa and. This peaceful resolut ion of a boundary conflict was an important step toward reducing tensions between the two countries and it served as a model for the. The basin has a size of 964,000 square kilometers, and is inhabited by 19 million people. The angola s civil war was an armed conflict that continued in the african nation for more than 26 years from 1975 to 2002, with brief periods of fragile peace. Botswana and its western neighbor namibia share common experiences and histories and have had good relations since their independence from the british and germans, in 1966 and 1988 respectively except, however, for a conflict between these two countries over some islands, in a strip they both share known as the caprivi strip. Southern africa, southernmost region of the african continent, comprising the countries of angola, botswana, lesotho, malawi, mozambique, namibia, south africa, swaziland, zambia, and zimbabwe. But national averages sometimes mask chronic water scarcity that is usually experienced at local levels, this suggests that even resource rich states could be facing water resource vulnerability. The ongoing marathon high treason trial against the more than alleged caprivi secessionists is alone unlikely to bring about a sustainable resolution of the dispute.
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