Okavango floods ‘still possible’

NAMWATER on Friday warned that floods along the Okavango River were a possibility if more rains fall in the river’s catchment area.

The river had reached its third highest level in more than a decade by Friday, when its was measured as flowing 7,15 metres deep, NamWater announced. In recent years that level has been exceeded only in April 1992, when the water level reached 7,62 m, and from April to May 2001, when a level of 7,4 m was measured.Although the current level is still lower than the peak levels in 1992 and 2001, it is higher than normal for this time of the year.More rains in the upper reaches of the Okavango’s catchment areas could result in a further rise and flooding of lower areas next to the river that are used during the dry season, NamWater warned.In recent years that level has been exceeded only in April 1992, when the water level reached 7,62 m, and from April to May 2001, when a level of 7,4 m was measured. Although the current level is still lower than the peak levels in 1992 and 2001, it is higher than normal for this time of the year. More rains in the upper reaches of the Okavango’s catchment areas could result in a further rise and flooding of lower areas next to the river that are used during the dry season, NamWater warned.