ISSUE 01/2021 | NOVEMBER
OKACOM 6th Ministers Forum Meeting Held Virtually
OKACOM Secretariat recently hosted a virtual Forum of Ministers Meeting which was held on 14 October 2021. The Forum of Ministers is the highest executive organ of OKACOM, tasked with the approval of policy and political issues associated with the implementation of the OKACOM mandate. The meeting brought together the Ministers responsible for water from each of the three riparian countries, OKACOM Commissioners, Okavango Basin Steering Committee (OBSC) members and OKACOM Secretariat staff. The key objectives of the meeting were to review of progress in the implementation of the OKACOM Strategic Action Programme, decisions of the last meeting held in September 2019 and most importantly to consider recommendations from the Council of Commissioners on the pertinent issues for effective running of the Commission. The 6th meeting was chaired by Honourable Joao Borges, the Minister of Energy and Water of the Republic of Angola, who in his opening remarks commended the opportunity for the three riparian countries to be able to engage. "It is commendable that the three countries have benefited from projects being implemented by OKACOM regarding shared resources, in terms of the vision of economically just & environmentally sustainable Basin" he noted.
European Union Official Handover of Equipment as Support to OKACOM
A handover and signing ceremony took place at OKACOM Secretariat, to officially receive equipment and materials for the5-year EU-OKACOM Programme for the Transboundary Water Management of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. The equipment handover document was signed by the EU Ambassador to Botswana H.E Jan Sadek and the OKACOM Executive Secretary, Mr Phera Ramoeli. The EU’s support to OKACOM is improving governance within the Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) through an enhanced Decision Support System. The EU procured equipment valued at 2 million Euro to improve water monitoring across the member states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia.
The event was also attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation, Ms. Bonolo Khumotaka, who serves as Co-Chairperson for Botswana on the OKACOM Council of Commissioners, on behalf of the three member states. The transfer includes equipment for eight hydro-meteorological stations within the Basin, water monitoring boats and sediment coring boats, vehicles and ICT equipment to enhance data analysis. The technology will allow OKACOM to gather different streams of data, including wa ter levels, flows, temperatures, biological and chemical water quality, sediment dynamics, and historical patterns of droughts and floods.
CORB Fund Aims to Mobilise Resources for Long Term Sustainability
The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) Fund has announced the appointment of seven Directors to the Company. The Fund functions as a fully independent company to enhance livelihoods, improve ecosystem resilience and provide equitable benefits to stakeholders in the River Basin shared by the states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The Board consists of three directors from each of the riparian states and four independent experts who oversee the business and affairs of the company to ensure it delivers on its purpose. Welcoming the new directors, the OKACOM Executive Secretary, Phera Ramoeli noted that "This is a milestone in the operationalisation of the Fund as it marks the completion of the most important governance structure which renders the Board now fully established. The Board can now take all the necessary decisions in the implementation of its mandate". The newly appointed directors bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience across the fields of Law, Financial and Investment Management, Water Resource Management and Environmental Sustainability.
OKACOM Decision Support System Nears Finalisation
A Regional Consultation Workshop on the OKACOM Decision Support System was recently held in Gaborone, Botswana by the EU OKACOM Transboundary Water Management Programme. Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information systems that support decision-making activities within an organisation. In transboundary water resources management, decision support systems provide for coordinated response management by helping water resources managers to compile useful information from raw data, incorporating personal knowledge, and modelling. Within OKACOM, the use of DSS is consistent with the Basin Development Management Framework (BDMF) which identified the need for the development of basin-wide information sharing tools and a jointly agreed Decision Support Framework and DSS in order to enable Member States to make informed decisions.
OKACOM 5th International Cooperating Partners Forum
The 5th OKACOM International Cooperating Partners (ICP) Forum was held virtually on 25 May 2021 and brought together the representatives of several ICPs currently working with the Commission to support the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). The OKACOM SAP is a basin-wide policy framework document that lays down the principles for the development of the CORB and the improvements of the livelihoods of its people through the cooperative management of its shared natural resources. The purpose of this coordination platform is to provide a forum for establishing and ensuring synergies among the various initiatives being supported by the ICPs in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. The ICP Forum is an important platform for open dialogue, constant communication with feedback mechanisms for sustained & healthy partnerships.
Gender and Social Inclusion Training Workshop for OKASEC
The OKACOM Gender Mainstreaming Strategy provides a framework to advance the commitment to ensuring equitable and sustainable development and growth on matters relating to the conservation, development and utilisation of water resources in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. Finalised in 2018, through technical and financial support from the United Kingdom, Department for International Development (DfID), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Programme on Transboundary Water Management at SADC Secretariat, the strategy offers key activities in implementing gender mainstreaming. In May 2021 OKACOM, undertook a two-day workshop to discuss the theoretical aspects of Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) and carry out practical exercises in designing projects which incorporate gender analyses and mainstreaming through the support of USAID Resilient Waters Programme and the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF).
OKACOM and CI Renew Partnership for Freshwater Monitoring of the Basin
OKACOM recently signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with Conservation International (CI) which will define the pathway for collaboration on projects for monitoring, protecting and restoring ecosystem health to support the sustainable and equitable long-term provision of ecosystem services in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB). One of these is the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) which has been a flagship collaboration between the two organisations.
Sediments Assessment for the Basin Launched
In October 2020, OKACOM commissioned a Sediments Assessment Study to be carried out to document baseline conditions which will inform the development of a monitoring programme. The Assessment will determine the sediment provenance, transport mechanisms and current fluxes within the CORB. The Sedimentation Assessment is key to gaining a better understanding of sedimentary processes specific to the CORB including a complete study of the physiography of the system in the three riparian states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The results will support modeling of the system evolution through space and time, which is required in complement to the monitoring and will support in a progressive manner projection of future changes. There is also a need to study the relative importance of anthropic vs natural processes and clarify the potential of management interventions; as well as land-use/land cover change, including the localization of possible pollution inputs, threats to local population and livestock). A consortium comprising of international experts has been selected to carry out the Assessment, which commenced in February 2021 and is currently underway.
Participatory Community Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods
The Improving Conservation and Sustainable Use of Shared Fish Resources through Co-management Demonstration Project is supported by the United Nations Development Project with funding from the Global Environmental Facility through OKACOM. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) of Namibia and the local NGO Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) as the implementing partner, the demonstration project aims to facilitate the establishment of community-based Fisheries Protected Areas (FPA) in the Joseph Mbambangandu Conservancy, located in Kavango-East region. Human driven factors such as unregulated fishing practices, overfishing, use of dragnets and mosquito nets have resulted in declining fish catches on the Okavango River.
EU and UNDP Project Partner to Upscale Conservation Agriculture in Angola
The OKACOM UNDP-GEF Project has recently partnered with the EU Programme for Transboundary Water Management to implement the Enhancing Climate Change Resilience through Conservation Agriculture Demonstration Project. The project targets 30 rainfed agriculture farmers in Ndamundamu and Kafulo within the Calai municipal administration in Angola. Situated along the banks of the Okavango River, farmers from this community depend on the local water source for domestic use, livestock watering, small-scale irrigation, and fishing.
Regional Instrumentation Training for Member States
In April 2021, OKACOM hosted an instrumentation training for members of the Water Resources Technical Committee (WRTC ) and technical staff from the relevant ministries from the three member states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The week-long training which took place in Maun and Shakawe was funded jointly by the UNDP-GEF Support to the SAP Implementation Project and EU Transboundary Water Management Programme.
Participants took part in both practical and theoretical training which aimed to enhance capacity to measure hydrological flows, sediment transport and water quality. Another objective was to enhance WTRC competencies in calibrating, maintaining and operation of various environmental monitoring instruments. Lastly, participants were introduced to the on-going development of the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS).
Aquatic Ecological Monitoring Training
The European Union funded Programme for Transboundary Water Management is actively working to strengthen water management through improved hydrological and ecological data availability and establish an early flood warning system. One of the key activities from the outcome related to improved access to hydrological and ecological data in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is developing an ecological monitoring framework, particularly focused on Macroinvertebrates and Diatoms, in support of river health evaluation in the Basin. As part of this deliverable, the programme recently hosted a training on Aquatic Ecological Monitoring for members of the OKACOM Biodiversity and Environment and the Water Resources Technical Committees. The training honed in on various monitoring techniques and methods of assessment of the river habitat and water quality. The week-long training was held at Popa Falls, in the Kavango East region of Namibia and brought together 12 participants from the three Member States of Angola, Botswana and Namibia.
Community Engagement for Joint Venture Models for the Sikerete Tourism Concession
OKACOM, with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme and funding from the Global Environment Facility is implementing the Conservation Tourism through Strengthened Partnerships Demonstration Project in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism of Namibia (MEFT). In 2008, MEFT awarded the Sikerete tourism concession to the Gciriku community, comprising of Muduva Nyangana Conservancy, George Mukoya Conservancy and Gciriku Traditional Authority. The Sikerete tourism concession is located inside the Khaudum National Park, which is in the Kavango East region of Namibia. The concession offers an opportunity to demonstrate a model that strengthens conservation and socio-economic development objectives through a partnership approach that involves national parks, conservancies, communities and the private sector.
School Outreach Programme Aims to Engage Youth
The recently finalised OKACOM Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (2020) outlines the need to effectively implement outreach and engagement across inclusive segments of the three-member states. A key segment identified is youth within the CORB who represent a crucial stakeholder with regards to idiating solutions for sustainable development to address challenges within their immediate environment. In alignment with the OKACOM vision, youth engagement entails cultivating a knowledge-seeking culture, empowering youth with information and offering relevant support which allows impactful actions to be carried out proactively by them.
SECRETARIAT APPOINTMENTS
The Secretariat has welcomed the following staff on board during 2021
Rosalina Solunga
Rosalina Solunga has been appointed as Bilingual Editor and Translator (BET) for the OKACOM Secretariat. She is responsible for the translation and proofreading of all OKACOM correspondence internally and externally. Her role is to ensure that there is a high-quality linguistic accuracy of English and Portuguese in all OKACOM documentation. Rosalina is also responsible for coordinating the interpretation of meetings across all three member states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia, including participation in field activities within the CORB.
Tshireletso Letlakala
Tshireletso Letlakala has been appointed as the Project Administration and Finance Officer (PAFO) for the OKACOM-UNDP Project and is responsible for the administration and financial management of the project. A dedicated and detail-oriented Accounting & Finance specialist, Tshireletso has been meeting the accounting and finance needs of donor funded projects for the past 15 years. She joins the Secretariat from the United Nations Botswana Country Office, where she worked as a Finance and Administration Officer.
STAFF MOVEMENT
Janeiro Janeiro
Mr. Janeiro Avelino Janeiro was the Regional Project Manager for UNDP-GEF funded the Support to the implementation of the Cubango-Okavango Strategic Action Programme since January 2019 and left the position in May 2021. Janeiro brought with him expertise in programme and project management covering water resources management, biodiversity conservation amongst others. He was based at the OKACOM Secretariat and moved on to a position of Team Leader of the Environmental Risk Reduction Programme for the UNDP Country Office in Luanda, Angola.
Chanda Phiri
It is with sadness that the Commission learned of the passing of the UNDP Project Administration and Finance Officer, Mrs Chanda Phiri. She passed on 20 May 2021 after a short illness and the OKASEC family has experienced an immeasurable loss through her death, she was a friend and a dear colleague. Mma Chanda was the much loved and respected, bubbly personality who joined the UNDP project in 2017 and was an integral part of the team until her untimely passing. Many who interacted with her recall her warmth and kindness in dealing with not only the administrative work, but also on a social level. Mma Chanda left us with fond memories and she will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband and daughter.
VIDEOS
The Cubango-Okavango River Basin: Shared Waters, Shared Vision & Joint Decisions
The transboundary CORB comprises of a network of river systems traversing through the three countries of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The approximately 700,000 km² CORB derives its principal flow from the Angolan highlands. It stretches for approximately 1,100 km, and is drained by the Cubango, which becomes the Kavango in Namibia and the Okavango River in Botswana. Learn about the Basin's rich biological status, the diversity of its population and the work done through OKACOM
Every River Has Its People
This documentary on the Every River Has Its People Project (ERP), profiles a unique initiative on shared river basin management approach implemented in the CORB, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The project started in 1999 and the overall goal was to “Promote the sustainable management of natural resources in the Okavango River Basin for the benefit of basin residents and states by promoting and facilitating the effective participation of stakeholders in natural resource decision-making and management, particularly related to water resources”.
Climate Smart Horticulture Farmers Profiles
With technical support from UNDP and funding from GEF, OKACOM partnered with the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security (MADFS) of Botswana to implement Climate-Smart Horticulture Demonstration Project. Since April 2019, local farmers in the Maun and Shakawe area have been demonstrating horticulture production by harnessing the water resource from the rivers, using climate-smart agricultural techniques and benefitting from training and mentorship. These videos profile 4 farmers from the Shakawe area who have been selected to demonstrate various high value crops using the same climate-smart agriculture techniques.
European Union Programme for Transboundary Water Management
The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) is receiving support from the European Union (EU) through the Programme for Transboundary Water Management in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. The programme aims to support the strengthening of governance in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) and promote the sustainable management of the basin’s water and land resources. The Technical Assistance component of the EU -OKACOM Programme was mobilised on 9th April 2018, and the Programme Management Unit established in an office in the OKASEC offices in Gaborone, Botswana. This video offers highlight of the programme progress and key milestones.
PUBLICATIONS
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
NBC Good Morning Namibia OKACOM Interview
NBC TV’s Good Morning Namibia interviewed the OKACOM Executive Secretary, Phera Ramoeli to offer an overview of the Commission and its work.
GMN Interview | Phera Ramoeli talks about the Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)
BTV News: OKACOM Instrumentation Training
Botswana Television news recently joined OKACOM during a capacity building for member states and filed this report.
OKACOM Regional Instrumental Training (BTV News)
