Concern as Zambezi rises

THE Zambezi River is rising and despite being lower than the average for this time of year, it could still reach levels that would flood the eastern areas of the Caprivi.

This week the river broke the one-metre level amidst steady rainfall in the area. Senior Water Technician in the Department of Water Affairs at Katima Mulilo Vincent Simana told The Namibian that he expected the river to rise more rapidly this month, once the cloud system had moved away.”Once the clouds are gone, the river starts to flow faster.When there are clouds, it just stands still,” he said.”I think there is going to be more water than last year and it will come close to 2004,” said Simana.The river level is still 30 centimetres lower than it was at the same time last year and nearly around half a metre off what is deemed normal for this time of year.But the situation can still change dramatically and emergency officials need to be prepared.”The rain has come late, so the river will start rising late,” said Simana.He said he had already been talking to people living in the floodplains to encourage them to move to higher ground, should the river flood and schools become difficult to reach.He said in areas he had visited recently communities had started planting crops in channels that could be damaged by the rain or flooding.Deputy Director of Hydrology Guido van Langenhove said the slow rising of the river during January did not give much indication of the expected peak.But although the levels remained low for this time of year, the river was rising more quickly now, he said.In 2000, the river level was even lower at this time in the season and the river still peaked at 5,67 metres – well above normal.Namibian water officials say they are experiencing difficulties in obtaining information on the river upstream at Lukulu in Zambia, which is usually a good indicator of the water levels and flow that can be expected in the Caprivi some time later.Last year, the Caprivi was spared from the flooding that caused the evacuation of thousands of people from the eastern floodplains in 2003 and 2004.Although around 120 mm of rain was recorded at Katima Mulilo during January, this amount is below the monthly average of 178,9 mm for January and also less than the 208 mm of January 2005.In 2004, as much as 259,6 mm fell at Katima Mulilo during January.Weatherman Victor Kaurimuje said this week yesterday that there was a 60 per cent chance of showers in the Caprivi until Saturday, as well as in Zambia, the Zambezi River’s main catchment area.Senior Water Technician in the Department of Water Affairs at Katima Mulilo Vincent Simana told The Namibian that he expected the river to rise more rapidly this month, once the cloud system had moved away.”Once the clouds are gone, the river starts to flow faster.When there are clouds, it just stands still,” he said.”I think there is going to be more water than last year and it will come close to 2004,” said Simana.The river level is still 30 centimetres lower than it was at the same time last year and nearly around half a metre off what is deemed normal for this time of year.But the situation can still change dramatically and emergency officials need to be prepared.”The rain has come late, so the river will start rising late,” said Simana.He said he had already been talking to people living in the floodplains to encourage them to move to higher ground, should the river flood and schools become difficult to reach.He said in areas he had visited recently communities had started planting crops in channels that could be damaged by the rain or flooding.Deputy Director of Hydrology Guido van Langenhove said the slow rising of the river during January did not give much indication of the expected peak.But although the levels remained low for this time of year, the river was rising more quickly now, he said.In 2000, the river level was even lower at this time in the season and the river still peaked at 5,67 metres – well above normal.Namibian water officials say they are experiencing difficulties in obtaining information on the river upstream at Lukulu in Zambia, which is usually a good indicator of the water levels and flow that can be expected in the Caprivi some time later.Last year, the Caprivi was spared from the flooding that caused the evacuation of thousands of people from the eastern floodplains in 2003 and 2004.Although around 120 mm of rain was recorded at Katima Mulilo during January, this amount is below the monthly average of 178,9 mm for January and also less than the 208 mm of January 2005.In 2004, as much as 259,6 mm fell at Katima Mulilo during January.Weatherman Victor Kaurimuje said this week yesterday that there was a 60 per cent chance of showers in the Caprivi until Saturday, as well as in Zambia, the Zambezi River’s main catchment area.