By Moyiga Nduru
NYANGA, ZIMBABWE, Nov 25 1995 (IPS)

The rivers and dams that provide water to towns, villages and farmlands in Southern Africa are slowly drying up.

Even the mighty Zambezi is just a shadow of its former self. The Kariba Dam which it feeds and which supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity is just centimetres above the lowest point at which its generators can operate.

Drought has battered the region over the past decade and, if it continues at the same rate, there will be little water to be found throughout Southern Africa in three decades’ time, hydraulic engineers say.

A no-hope situation? Not quite. There could be a solution, engineers say: Zaire.

Zaire has most of Central Africa’s rain forests and a quarter of Africa’s water resources, including the River Zaire, 4,700 km long, running through areas with heavy rainfall — average annual precipitation in some zones is as high as 2,200 mm.

According to Alan Conley of the Department of Water Resources and Forestry in South Africa, the River Zaire dwarfs all waterways south of it. “The capacity is over 10 times that of the Zambezi and of the order of 100 times that of the Orange or Okavango,” he says.

Besides, the potential of the Inga hydroelectric dam, powered by the Zaire, is estimated at at least 45000 megawatts (mw) — more than sufficient to meet the present electricity demand of the whole of southern Africa.

One idea discussed at a Nov. 16-17 meeting on Intergrated Development and Regional Water Resources, held here and organised by the Harare-based Southern African Foundation for Economic Research (SAFER), was that of building a 140-km pipeline to pump water from Zaire into River Zambezi.

The largest river south of the Zaire, it rises in eastern Angola, flows south through Zambia and then flows generally eastwards, forming the borders between Zambia and Namibia, and Zambia and Zimbabwe, before crossing Mozambique to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi River Trust of Zimbabwe has already commissioned a Swedish consultant to explore the feasibility of the Zaire-Zambezi pipeline.

“I think what we need is the political will to get the project rolling,” says Victor Kasimona, a leading water engineer in Zambia.

Excerpt:

By Moyiga Nduru
NYANGA, ZIMBABWE, Nov 25 1995 (IPS)

The rivers and dams that provide water to towns, villages and farmlands in Southern Africa are slowly drying up.

Even the mighty Zambezi is just a shadow of its former self. The Kariba Dam which it feeds and which supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity is just centimetres above the lowest point at which its generators can operate.

Drought has battered the region over the past decade and, if it continues at the same rate, there will be little water to be found throughout Southern Africa in three decades’ time, hydraulic engineers say.

A no-hope situation? Not quite. There could be a solution, engineers say: Zaire.

Zaire has most of Central Africa’s rain forests and a quarter of Africa’s water resources, including the River Zaire, 4,700 km long, running through areas with heavy rainfall — average annual precipitation in some zones is as high as 2,200 mm.

According to Alan Conley of the Department of Water Resources and Forestry in South Africa, the River Zaire dwarfs all waterways south of it. “The capacity is over 10 times that of the Zambezi and of the order of 100 times that of the Orange or Okavango,” he says.

Besides, the potential of the Inga hydroelectric dam, powered by the Zaire, is estimated at at least 45000 megawatts (mw) — more than sufficient to meet the present electricity demand of the whole of southern Africa.

One idea discussed at a Nov. 16-17 meeting on Intergrated Development and Regional Water Resources, held here and organised by the Harare-based Southern African Foundation for Economic Research (SAFER), was that of building a 140-km pipeline to pump water from Zaire into River Zambezi.

The largest river south of the Zaire, it rises in eastern Angola, flows south through Zambia and then flows generally eastwards, forming the borders between Zambia and Namibia, and Zambia and Zimbabwe, before crossing Mozambique to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi River Trust of Zimbabwe has already commissioned a Swedish consultant to explore the feasibility of the Zaire-Zambezi pipeline.

“I think what we need is the political will to get the project rolling,” says Victor Kasimona, a leading water engineer in Zambia.

Excerpt:

By Moyiga Nduru
NYANGA, ZIMBABWE, Nov 20 1995 (IPS)

The rivers and dams that provide water to towns, villages and farmlands in Southern Africa are slowly drying up.

Even the mighty Zambezi is just a shadow of its former self. The Kariba Dam which it feeds and which supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity is just centimetres above the lowest point at which its generators can operate.

Drought has battered the region over the past decade and, if it continues at the same rate, there will be little water to be found throughout Southern Africa in three decades’ time, experts say.

A no-hope situation? Not quite. There could be a solution, experts say: Zaire.

Zaire has most of Central Africa’s rain forests and a quarter of Africa’s water resources, including the River Zaire, 4,700 km long, running through areas with heavy rainfall — average annual precipitation in some zones is as high as 2,200 mm.

According to Alan Conley of the Department of Water Resources and Forestry in South Africa, the River Zaire dwarfs all waterways the south of it. “The capacity is over 10 times that of the Zambezi and of the order of 100 times that of the Orange or Okavango,” he says.

Besides, the potential of the Inga hydroelectric dam, powered by the Zaire, is estimated at at least 45000 megawatts (mw) — more than sufficient to meet the present electricity demand of the whole of southern Africa.

One idea discussed at a Nov. 16-17 meeting on Intergrated Development and Regional Water Resources, held here and organised by the Harare-based Southern African Foundation for Economic Research (SAFER), was that of building a 140-km pipeline to pump water from Zaire into River Zambezi.

The largest river south of the Zaire, it rises in eastern Angola, flows south through Zambia and then flows generally eastwards, forming the borders between Zambia and Namibia, and Zambia and Zimbabwe, before crossing Mozambique to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi River Trust of Zimbabwe has already commissioned a Swedish consultant to explore the feasibility of the Zaire-Zambezi pipeline.

“I think what we need is the political will to get the project rolling,” says Victor Kasimona, a leading water engineer in Zambia.

The project would also benefit Zaire, since, while its southern neighbours are strapped for water, it has too much. “The swampy river is constraining development in that country,” explains Eric Bloch, a Zimbabwean economist, who supports the idea of a water pipeline.

The swamps along parts of the river are impeding Zaire’s efforts to build roads, rails and other economic projects in the area, he says.

The Zaire’s water could go a long way towards reducing the water woes of Southern Africa, where the demand for water is projected to rise almost three percent annually between now and the year 2020.

At least three of the region’s countries — Botswana, Namibia and South Africa — are acutely short of water.

In Namibia, for example, demand for state-supplied water increased from 37 million cubic metres per year in 1970 to 95 million m3 per year in 1993, an average of 4.2 percent, and well above the population growth rate of three percent.

Rainfall is erratic, unreliable and unevenly distributed, making Namibia the most arid country in the Southern African region, but Botswana is not much better off.

“In Botswana, we drill up to 300 metres to get water underground,” says Moremi Sekwale, a top water engineer in the capital, Gaberone.

Demand for water is also critical in South Africa which accounts for only 10 percent of the total water resource in the region, while it is home to about one third of the 120 million Southern Africans.

If present trends continue, there will be virtually no water in the three countries in 30 years time, according to Thomas Mpofu of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Not all experts in the region, however, support the idea to tap water from Zaire. “There has always been a constant amount of 102 cubic kilometre of water in the Zambezi. This is enough for use in Zimbabwe for the next 300 years”, says Sekwale.

“I suggest we tap the water in Zaire for generating power in time of drought in Southern Africa,” he says.

According to Sekwale, there is plenty of water for every one. What is required is to take water from areas where it is underutilised and move it to areas of high demand.

One such initiative is the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, designed to pump water from the mountain kingdom to neighbouring South Africa, but the project is hotly opposed by environmental groups and people who depend on the river that is to be tapped.

Excerpt:

By Moyiga Nduru
NYANGA, ZIMBABWE, Nov 20 1995 (IPS)

The rivers and dams that provide water to towns, villages and farmlands in Southern Africa are slowly drying up.

Even the mighty Zambezi is just a shadow of its former self. The Kariba Dam which it feeds and which supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity is just centimetres above the lowest point at which its generators can operate.

Drought has battered the region over the past decade and, if it continues at the same rate, there will be little water to be found throughout Southern Africa in three decades’ time, experts say.

A no-hope situation? Not quite. There could be a solution, experts say: Zaire.

Zaire has most of Central Africa’s rain forests and a quarter of Africa’s water resources, including the River Zaire, 4,700 km long, running through areas with heavy rainfall — average annual precipitation in some zones is as high as 2,200 mm.

According to Alan Conley of the Department of Water Resources and Forestry in South Africa, the River Zaire dwarfs all waterways the south of it. “The capacity is over 10 times that of the Zambezi and of the order of 100 times that of the Orange or Okavango,” he says.

Besides, the potential of the Inga hydroelectric dam, powered by the Zaire, is estimated at at least 45000 megawatts (mw) — more than sufficient to meet the present electricity demand of the whole of southern Africa.

One idea discussed at a Nov. 16-17 meeting on Intergrated Development and Regional Water Resources, held here and organised by the Harare-based Southern African Foundation for Economic Research (SAFER), was that of building a 140-km pipeline to pump water from Zaire into River Zambezi.

The largest river south of the Zaire, it rises in eastern Angola, flows south through Zambia and then flows generally eastwards, forming the borders between Zambia and Namibia, and Zambia and Zimbabwe, before crossing Mozambique to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi River Trust of Zimbabwe has already commissioned a Swedish consultant to explore the feasibility of the Zaire-Zambezi pipeline.

“I think what we need is the political will to get the project rolling,” says Victor Kasimona, a leading water engineer in Zambia.

The project would also benefit Zaire, since, while its southern neighbours are strapped for water, it has too much. “The swampy river is constraining development in that country,” explains Eric Bloch, a Zimbabwean economist, who supports the idea of a water pipeline.

The swamps along parts of the river are impeding Zaire’s efforts to build roads, rails and other economic projects in the area, he says.

The Zaire’s water could go a long way towards reducing the water woes of Southern Africa, where the demand for water is projected to rise almost three percent annually between now and the year 2020.

At least three of the region’s countries — Botswana, Namibia and South Africa — are acutely short of water.

In Namibia, for example, demand for state-supplied water increased from 37 million cubic metres per year in 1970 to 95 million m3 per year in 1993, an average of 4.2 percent, and well above the population growth rate of three percent.

Rainfall is erratic, unreliable and unevenly distributed, making Namibia the most arid country in the Southern African region, but Botswana is not much better off.

“In Botswana, we drill up to 300 metres to get water underground,” says Moremi Sekwale, a top water engineer in the capital, Gaberone.

Demand for water is also critical in South Africa which accounts for only 10 percent of the total water resource in the region, while it is home to about one third of the 120 million Southern Africans.

If present trends continue, there will be virtually no water in the three countries in 30 years time, according to Thomas Mpofu of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Not all experts in the region, however, support the idea to tap water from Zaire. “There has always been a constant amount of 102 cubic kilometre of water in the Zambezi. This is enough for use in Zimbabwe for the next 300 years”, says Sekwale.

“I suggest we tap the water in Zaire for generating power in time of drought in Southern Africa,” he says.

According to Sekwale, there is plenty of water for every one. What is required is to take water from areas where it is underutilised and move it to areas of high demand.

One such initiative is the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, designed to pump water from the mountain kingdom to neighbouring South Africa, but the project is hotly opposed by environmental groups and people who depend on the river that is to be tapped.

Excerpt: