River Awareness Kit and IWRM Plan for the Cuvelai River Basin in Angola and Namibia

The Cuvelai River Basin is a unique region due to a combination of factors. It is a transboundary wetland area shared by Angola and Namibia, and consists of hundreds of drainage channels, called iishana, many of which are dry for most of the year, but prone to extensive flooding during the rainy season. This context implies a number of challenges for the population as well as managers and decision-takers.

In late 2018, GFA Consulting Group started a GIZ-funded project to support the Cuvelai Watercourse Commission (CUVECOM) in its mandate to manage water resources in the basin, to raise awareness about the region’s assets, and to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of the local population. Following a participatory approach, an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) plan, as well as a website and a River Awareness Kit (RAK) as an interactive learning tool will be developed. As a first step, stakeholders from Angola and Namibia expressed and discussed their needs and expectations with regard to water management during two consultation workshops in Ondjiva (Angola) and Ondangwa (Namibia) on 3-4 Dec, 2018.

Subsequently, CUVECOM, GIZ and the GFA team jointly developed a strategic framework for the IWRM plan, and a long-term vision for the Cuvelai basin. Based on this framework, the GFA team will elaborate detailed draft versions of the IWRM plan and RAK over the next months.