Okavango colonises floodplains

GOOD rains in Angola have swelled the Okavango River, inundating the adjacent floodplains.

Last week, the Okavango was still below the five-metre mark. Yesterday it had risen to 5,18 m.Elina Lyuombwa, Manager of the Nkurenkuru Business Centre 140 km west of Rundu, some small areas were flooded in the vicinity.”The people are moving to higher ground.Although this year the water level is higher than in 2006, it is still normal,” Lyuombwa told The Namibian.Guido van Langenhove, Deputy Director of Hydrology in the Agriculture Ministry, said the river had risen quite fast in the last week.Asked about reports that the river had allegedly risen to seven metres, he noted that there were various measuring points.”Our department has its measuring station at Sarusungu Lodge, and NamWater for instance has its station at another point, so it differs,” Van Langenhove explained.Yesterday it had risen to 5,18 m.Elina Lyuombwa, Manager of the Nkurenkuru Business Centre 140 km west of Rundu, some small areas were flooded in the vicinity.”The people are moving to higher ground.Although this year the water level is higher than in 2006, it is still normal,” Lyuombwa told The Namibian.Guido van Langenhove, Deputy Director of Hydrology in the Agriculture Ministry, said the river had risen quite fast in the last week.Asked about reports that the river had allegedly risen to seven metres, he noted that there were various measuring points.”Our department has its measuring station at Sarusungu Lodge, and NamWater for instance has its station at another point, so it differs,” Van Langenhove explained.