This dissertation reviews the principles of International River Basin Management and their
application by the governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The dissertation deals with the
issues popularised by governments, water planners and international agencies that the twenty-first
century's conflicts will be fought over water. Increasingly this concern is being used to justify new
water-supply dams and river diversion projects. This is especially so in arid Southern Africa, the
focus of this dissertation, where numerous major international water transfers are underway and
many more are being planned. While Namibia's growing thirst is a serious problem, the story is more
complicated than just too many basin states putting their straws into one glass. The growing conflicts
over the Okavango's water use raise broader questions about ownership of common resources, and
equity of access to those resources.
Most southern African countries depend on primary natural resources to sustain economies and their
people. The environmental issues are remarkably similar in countries within the region, and the
economic, social and political fortunes of the individual countries are intertwined. Furthermore, the
ways in which resources are being managed are similar and thus cause for common concern. In
general, the ability of countries in the region to achieve sustainable development depends not on
national policies but also on the commitment of neighbours to practice sound environmental
management. This is because activities in one country can easily cause impacts on a neighbour and
possibly result in "downstream" opportunity costs.
This case study of the Okavango River Basin, a river facing prospective developments from riparian
states Angola, Botswana and Namibia, attempts to find sustainable solutions to solving international
resource conflict. In addition to outlining the possible future threats to the Okavango River, this
study proclaims a number of recommendations in the way of declaring alternatives to Namibia's
plans to extract water from the Okavango River. One such recommendation is the encouragement of
Water Demand Management as an alternative to water transfer by Namibia. This management
strategy is aimed at optimising the use of available water rather than developing new or extended
supplies and as a result it has a vital role to play since it contributes to sustainable development rather than over exploitation of limited natural resources. The majority of large rivers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are shared by
three or more countries, and as the region's water resources come under growing development
pressure, the importance of establishing effective national and regional methods and institutions for
sustainably managing these resources will increase greatly. From economic, ecological and human
welfare perspectives, the Okav,ango River Basin is arguably one of the most important transboundary
natural resources (TBNR) in the region. Owing to the basin's remoteness and history of conflict, the
Okavango was spared much of the destructive developments that rivers in the region have suffered.
As a result, the relatively pristine Okavango ecosystem continues to provide significant benefits to
the region much as it has done for centuries. As we approach the new millennium, however, it is
clear that the health of the Okavango River Basin is threatened as riparian states increasingly turn to
the Okavango to support their growing populations and economies. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/4507 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Chase, Michael John. |
| Contributors | Fincham, Robert J. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
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