Environmental Monitoring Framework

The Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) observed that the CORB is still relatively ecologically and environmentally undisturbed due to low levels of economic development within the Basin. Meanwhile, the OKACOM SAP which was informed by the TDA and Multisectoral Investment Opportunity Analysis (MSIOA) anticipates economic development with potential to impact negatively on the ecological and environmental integrity.

The TDA identified glaring lack of data and information on critical environmental and ecological variables as a major challenge due to lack therein of credible and coordinated environmental and ecological morning programmes within the Basin. The lack of credible data and information undermines the development of informed policies and strategies for resource management within the basin. OKACOM is currently implementing a 20 years Strategic Action Programme (SAP) which include the establishment of a comprehensive Environmental Monitoring Framework (EMF) for the basin as a way of addressing data and information challenges. The improvement of availability of high quality environmental data is expected to facilitate informed operational and environmental management decisions over the management of water resources within the basin.

The EMF will subsequently guide and inform monitoring projects and programmes within the Basin. Monitoring activities that will be guided by the currently under construction EMF include Water Quality Monitoring, Hydrological Flows Monitoring, Sediment Transport Monitoring, Groundwater Monitoring, Ecological/Biological Monitoring and Socio-Economic Monitoring. The development of EMF was preceded by a series of Joint Surveys intended to establish baseline conditions of critical monitoring variables and their associated indicators. These Joint Surveys were conducted by members of the Water Resources Technical Committee (WRTC) with support from the UNDP-GEF funded Support to the Implementation of the Cubango Okavango River Basin Strategic Action Programme.