Transboundary Water Management in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin

The European Union (EU) in support to the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM), endorsed a Programme for Transboundary Water Management in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin in April 2018, designed to be implemented for four years, ending in October, 2021 at cost of EURO 6million.

The EU supports, in particular, the development and implementation of the OKACOM Decision Support System (DSS), which considers among others, hydro-meteorological and ecological monitoring; data sharing protocol and techniques; and scenario modelling across the basin. The DSS will utilize existing and new data and models, to improve the quality of the analysis and advice given to Member States to aid their developmental decision making within the basin. The actions under the Programme also focus on establishing widely accessible analytical tools for data management through an online DSS ‘dashboard’, water resource monitoring, and land resource management. This is in keeping with the long-term vision of the OKACOM and fits within the SAP and Basin Development Management Framework (BDMF).

The Programme consists of three components:

1. A Direct Grant from the EU to OKACOM, which support operational elements of the Programme;
2. A Technical Assistance component which is implemented as a Contract between the EU and a Consortium of consultants led by Ecorys, JG Africa and the CSIR; and
3. A Supplies Grant, which enables procurement of Civil Works and Equipment in support of the Programme.

The Programme is complementary to and aligned with other internationally supported programmes, and collaborative action has been forged to establish synergies with for example UNDP/GEF, USAID, GIZ and CRIDF for SAP implementation.
The overall objective of the EU Programme is to strengthen the Cubango-Okavango River Basin governance and promote sustainable management of its water and land resources. It has the following specific objectives:

1. To improve the Decision Support Systems (DSS) used in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin Development and Management Framework (BDMF) to enable OKACOM to provide effective advice to member states;
2. To strengthen water management in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, through improved water resources data availability and early warning system; and
3. To strengthen land management in the CORB through improved land use planning, reduction of environmental degradation and improved livelihoods.