Okavango Delta Management Plan - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

2.4.3.1 Angola
Quantities of water being abstracted in Angola are not well recorded but are thought to be
very small. Now at peace and with strong development needs and ambitions, there are
currently still no plans to build dams or major abstraction infrastructure on the river; there
are also currently no existing structures. This situation is, however, bound to change as
Angola develops and its population resettles in the Cubango/Quito river basins. Angola’s
demand for abstracted water is going to rise and the possibility of other developments, such
as hydroelectric schemes etc., is also bound to increase.
2.4.3.2 Namibia
Namibia has a number of existing and proposed water abstraction points for new irrigated
agricultural schemes along the river between Nkurenkuru and Mohembo.
Another Namibian proposal to abstract 17 MCM per annum from the river at Rundu and to
connect this to the country’s Eastern National Water Carrier at Grootfontein has been
mothballed for the present but remains a possibility. The total currently abstracted amount
is equivalent to 0.134% of mean annual flow and this would rise to 0.154% if the Rundu –
Grootfontein pipeline were constructed (ODMP – Inception Report, 2005).
From these figures it is apparent that the total combined quantity of water currently being
abstracted by all three countries from the river system, and indeed proposed increases in
these amounts, is still very small in relation to the mean annual flow of the river.
2.4.3.3 Botswana
Botswana currently abstracts water at several points throughout the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>
system and is preparing infrastructure to abstract more. The current locations and volumes
of existing and proposed abstractions in the ODRS are shown in Table 2-9.
Under the proposed Maun Groundwater Development Project (MGDP) and Maun Water
Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation and Upgrade Project (MWSSRUP) the amount of water
supplied to the village will be increased (DWA, 2004). The existing abstraction site would be
decommissioned.
Table 2-9: Water abstraction in the ODRS (DWA 2004)
Scheme Villages Amount abstracted (MCM per annum)
Maun Water Supply Maun 2.69
Private licensed abastractions from the
river
50
Within the <strong>Delta</strong> Data not available
Gumare Water Supply Gumare, Etsha, Nokaneng, Habu, Tsau
and their localities
Sepopa/Ikoga Integrated Rural Village
Water Supply
(Kauxwi/Xakao Integrated Rural Village
Water Supply Project
0.62
Sepopa, Mowana and Ikoga 0.12
Kauxwi, Xakao, Mohembo-east, Goa,
Jejedoa, Sekondomboro and Sechenje
Shakawe Water Supply Shakawe 0.24
TOTAL 3.84
0.17