10 Jun 2014

The agreement between Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa to continually dialogue and share ideas as well as responsibilities in the management, untilisation and development of the scarce water resources is expected to benefit residents of Zutshwa in the Hukuntsi Sub-district.

The chairperson of Kgalagadi District Council, Mr France Van der Westhuizen said the relationship of the four countries under the Orange - Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM), would come in handy for the Zutshwa community in terms of alternative livelihoods empowerment strategy.

Officiating at the handing over of Zutshwa rainwater harvesting and tourism attraction projects, Mr Van der Westhuizen said the projects were ideal for the area because shortage of water for livestock was a crisis.

Mr Van der Westhuizen said the rehabilitation of water cisterns at the Zutshwa pan would address the issue of water scarcity and promote rainwater conservation in the area. He said the district council had a mammoth task to provide RADP livestock with water, and he hoped that the project would help remedy the situation.

The rangeland rehabilitation project, on the other hand, was intended to have rangelands that were sustainably managed, based on traditional knowledge systems and strengthened community-based institutions.

He said the community-based institutions would enhance resilience of local livelihoods while supported by alternative income-generating options. “The rangeland rehabilitation project will be improved by planting palatable grasses and fodder plants,” he said.

Global Environment Facility representative, Ms Zachel Koorzen, explained that the Orange-Senqu strategic action programme was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).

Ms Koorzen said the project was part of the overall UNDP/GEF Orange-Senqu strategic action programme, which supported ORASECOM in developing a basin wide plan for the management and development of water resources, based on the principle of integrated water resource management.

She said the project also aimed to identify and address the threats to share water resources to develop a basin-wide plan or sustainable management of water and related natural resources.

UNDP ambassador to Botswana, Mr Andres Pederson, encouraged the community to take full ownership of the projects for self-empowerment. He said the UNDP would support the local communities but it was upon the communities to ensure the sustainability of their projects. Ends