Zambezi basin under discussion

By: HILENI NEMBWAYA

THIS year Namibia has been hit by a devastating drought, as it received below normal rainfall in most parts of the country.

The agricultural sector, especially the livestock producers as well as communal farmers were the hardest hit but other parts of the country, such as the eastern Caprivi, experienced floods which have displaced communities and destroyed crops that are a source of livelihood for many people.
The Zambezi Environment Outlook, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry held a three-day advisory meeting in Windhoek that was aimed at seeking guidance on key issues affecting the Zambezi river basin.
The Zambezi river basin is a source of livelihood for many people living along its course that stretching from Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
They depend on the basin for socio-economic activities ranging from agriculture and forestry, conservation and tourism. However climatic change has had an impact on the basin, affecting socio-economic development.
Key issues affecting the basin including the increased and frequent torrential rainfall that has resulted in floods in some parts of the basin, including the Caprivi region in Namibia and the lower Zambezi in Mozambique, were also part of the conference discussions.
The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, said there was a need to urgently find appropriate strategies to sustain and protect the basin.

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