The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)

Transcription

1 The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) GEO- UNESCO Joint Workshop on Earth Observation and Capacity Development for IWRM at River Basins in Africa Nairobi, Kenya, January 2012 Tracy S. Molefi OKACOM OBSC

2 Presentation Outline Basin Facts Institutional Framework Challenges and Issues Responses from OKACOM s Strategic Action Programme

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4 Basin Facts Transcends 3 countries Angola 48%, Namibia 37% Botswana 15% and of basin territory Angola 94.5% total run-off in catchment, Namibia 2.9%, Botswana 2.6% Hydrologically active area of approximately km 1,100 km length 10 cubic kilometers of surface water flow to the delta per annum Catchment 413,550 km 2 Home to 1,113,000 people

5 Use of Water in the Basin Subsistence agriculture Tourism based activities Domestic water supply Fisheries Ecosystems services Limited irrigated agriculture

6 The Commission Established in 1994 by the Windhoek Agreement Three countries Angola, Botswana and Namibia Acts as a technical advisor to the contracting Parties on matters related to conservation, development and utilization of the water resources of common interest in the Okavango Secretariat based in Maun, Botswana

7 OKACOM Structure OKACOM COMMISSION 3 Commissioners per country Angola, Botswana & Namibia Okavango Basin Steering Committee (OBSC) Angola, Botswana & Namibia OKACOM Secretariat Institutional Task Force Biodiversity Task Force Hydrology Task Force Seconded Technical Staff Angola, Botswana & Namibia

8 Institutional Framework 1994 Agreement 2007 Agreement on Organizational Structure 2008 Permanent Secretariat established 2011 Rules and Procedures approved 2012 Institutional Functional Analysis for SAP implementation (in progress)

9 EPSMO Project The very first OKACOM commissioned project Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Objective understanding of status of basin resources Issues and trends Strategic Action Programme (SAP) To assist framing of issue-responsive programmatic interventions Basin Development Management Framework National Action Plans NAPs)

10 The Process : Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Multi-disciplinary and trans-country teams : Angola, Botswana, Namibia Assisted by regional and international experts Consultation with local communities and institutions

11 The Process : Integrated Flow Assessment Understanding of impacts of flow modification on Ecological dynamics Socio-economic and livelihood conditions Overall macro-economics of the basin Scenario planning : 1, 2 and 3 Concept of acceptable development space Negotiation tool for managing trade offs

12 Summary of expected changes in ecosystem health for the Low, Medium and High Water-use Scenarios

13 TDA Areas of Concern and Drivers variation and reduction of hydrological flow changes in sediment dynamics changes in water quality changes in the abundance and distribution of biota driven by population dynamics land use change poverty climate change

14 Issues (TDA Findings) Placement of abstraction and impoundments will greatly influence flow variability Certain HEP and land use developments will impact sediment transport, which is unique and important especially for Delta Increased Irrigated agriculture poses the greatest challenge The planned run-of-river HEP (micro HEP) plans which have little impact on flow but can affect sediment : no site for major dams The two main tributaries (Cuito & Cubango) serve complementary hydrological functions (development on one can be mitigated by other)

15 Issues (TDA Findings) Water Supply &Sanitation is unlikely to have a significant impact, people will Angola will rely on direct use for some years Distribution of current economic benefits of the river is skewed downstream Benefits of future water resources development will start to accrue upstream but the indirect costs of development will be paid mostly downstream. OKACOM has the potential to arrange benefit sharing mechanisms exploiting significant comparative advantages (i.e. tourism vs. irrigation) and is ideally situated to drive reform and manage

16 Challenges 1. Integrated and Coordinated Water Resources Development and Management Inadequate water infrastructure for achieving regional economic development eg. energy and food security Inadequate financing of water resources development and management. Low access to water supply and sanitation

17 Challenges 2. Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Inadequate integrated and coordinated protection and sustainable development and use of wetlands ( e.g. no management plan for the basin) Ecosystems and related ecological and economic functions in the basin may be threatened by fragmented, uncoordinated and unsustainable development. Deterioration of water quality due to localised pollution Proliferation of invasive aquatic species

18 Challenges 3. Basin wide Cooperation and Integration Limited capacity of national and regional water management institutions to perform river basin management tasks Inadequate water resources knowledge base for basin wide planning, development and management Inadequate effective stakeholder participation in basin resources development and management.

19 Challenges 4. Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change Insufficient data and information for adequate climate change predictions Difficulties in managing uncertainties associated with climate prediction models Extreme variability and uneven distribution of rainfall is likely to be amplified by climate change Inadequate of integrated management of extreme events ( flood and drought ) in development planning Inadequate coping mechanisms for climate variability and change

20 Current Use of Data in Decision Making in the Basin Water-related decisions made on an annual basis Data and models used in making these decisions Difficulties encountered in using these data and models Coping with data needs and services for special events such as floods and droughts For OKACOM, efforts defining acceptable development space first steps A variety of systems and models are being tested, e.g. WEAP Data collection and reporting in the remote areas of the Angolan portion of the Basin Hydrological Data Sharing Protocol an effort to share and consolidate data for planning

21 Basin Plans to Sustainable Development and a Green Economy Strategic Action Programme basin-wide policy framework document for the Cubango- Okavango river that lays down the principles for development of the basin and improvements of livelihoods of its people through cooperative management of the basin and its shared natural resources

22 The SAP s Basin Development and Management Framework (BDMF) Vision Acceptable Development Space flexible management approaches scientific and economic analysis adaptive response (changes socioeconomic and environmental conditions

23 Thematic Areas for SAP Thematic Area 1: Livelihoods and Socio-economic Development Thematic Area 2: Water Resources Management Thematic Area 3: Land Management Thematic Area 4: Environment and Biodiversity

24 SAP Logframe

25 Road Map for SAP Endorsement

26 Areas of Support/Collaboration Mainly SAP/NAP Implementation Climate Change Scenarios in water resource management Multi-sector investment opportunity analysis Capacity building- institutional strengthening Information, data management and sharing ( implementation mechanism) Projects for livelihood and socio-economic development

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