04 Jun 2019

Cooperation among Botswana, Namibia and Angola is vital in the protection of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, says Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen.

 He was speaking on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Mr Kitso Mokaila at the transboundary cooperation meeting in Maun on June 3.

The meeting was organised by the Botswana National Museum and Monuments to consult and strengthen the transboundary cooperation as well as to establish the feasibility of the potential extension of the World Heritage site.

Minister Van Der Westhuizen, who heads the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, observed that the Cubango-Okavango River Basin was recognised internationally for its abundant water and biodiversity.

The Cuito River in Angola, he said, was crucial to the system with its strong year-round flow and capability to store flood waters and release in the dry season.

He said the tripartite cooperation in the protection of the Cubango-Okavango dated back to the 1990s.

The minister cited the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission Agreement signed in 1994 by the three states to promote sustainable water resources development as well as the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area focusing on management of wildlife and tourism development.

Minister Van Der Westhuizen said as the tripartite was being strengthened, delegates must ensure that local communities were not left behind.

The local communities, he said were significant in the management of heritage resources.

The minister emphasised the Cubango-Okavango River Basin’s international relevance as its Botswana portion was both  a Ramsar and a World Heritage site while the Namibian basin, the Okavango Bwabata was also a Ramsar site and in the Tentative World Heritage list since 2016.

UNESCO official Mr Guy Debonnet said the future of the Okavango Delta depended on tripartite relations and joint management of the shared Cubango-Okavango River Basin.

Mr Debonnet said UNESCO was committed to the strengthening and extension of the World Heritage Convention for the three states.

He said UNESCO had an international hydrological programme that promoted transboundary water cooperation and scientific-based management of water resources.

Mr Debonnet said the World Heritage Committee recommended the involvement of the traditional custodians of the delta as an integral part of the protection and management of the sites.

A representative of Angola, head of Kaza Unit Mr Rui Lisboa said the Angolan government was committed to the preservation of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin.

The Angolan government, he said, was prepared to work with other states for the implementation of the tripartite as well as to get insight from Botswana and Namibia who had been recognised as world sites.

A Namibian representative, Ms Veno Kuaria said there was need for strengthening transboundary relations.

Nonetheless, Ms Kuaria said Namibia would have to do extensive consultations with its communities regarding the strengthening of the transboundary and potential extension of the heritage site. ENDS