Power Project On Southern Africa’s Fourth Longest River Halted

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VENTURES AFRICA – The Okavango River Water Commission (OKACOM) says plans by state-owned Namibian national power utility company, NamPower to construct a giant electricity generation plant along the Okavango River have been stopped.
The Okavango River is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running south-eastward for 1,600 km. It begins in Angola, where it is known as the Cubango River. Further south it forms part of the border between Angola and Namibia, and then flows into Botswana.
In 1994, the three Okavango Basin states Angola, Botswana and Namibia signed an agreement that formed OKACOM, a high-level committee that aims at managing the water resources of the Okavango River system.

However NamPower had recently indicated plans to construct a giant Hydro Power Project at Popa Falls along the Okavango River, but OKACOM stopped the move in an effort to preserve the falls for tourism value.
“The proposed project by Namibia to built a hydro power plant at Popa Falls where the river drops a few meters has been shelved. NamPower shelved the proposal, because of operational constraints. There are no other plans to go head the Popa Falls Hydropower Scheme,” said OKACOM Executive Secretary, Ebenizario Chonguica
There were also fears that the proposed project would have a negative impact on the Okavango Delta along the Okavango River which was recently listed as world heritage site.