Petronella Sibeene
5 November 2008
Windhoek — Key stakeholders in flood mitigation yesterday developed a framework that would see involved government ministries come up with plans to create a Flood-Based Contingency Plan 2008/9.
The Flood-Based Contingency Plan will subsequently develop into a National Flood Contingency Plan and eventually expand to a Multi-Hazard Contingency Plan for Namibia.
Acting Director of Emergency Management Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, Gabriel Kangowa, told New Era yesterday that government representatives from ministries of Education; Health and Social Services;
Works and Transport; Agriculture; Water and Forestry; Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, as well as the Office of the Prime Minister and other stakeholders met yesterday morning in Windhoek.
Yesterday's meeting follows a "Lesson Learnt" workshop that was held in Tsumeb in July, where stakeholders reviewed their performance on disaster (flood) management and also identified areas of improvement.
Before the meeting in Tsumeb, another one was held in Oshakati.
The Oshakati meeting identified sectoral-based preparation plans for future floods in regions that were hard-hit in the past rainy season.
"We are prepared this time. We do not want to fall in the same trap," Kangowa said.
During yesterday's meeting, Kangowa said, critical ministries revealed that they have already started implementing identified mitigation measures.
He gave an example of the Namibia Red Cross that has so far distributed seeds and fertiliser among other agricultural necessities to over 7000 families in flood-prone areas.
Kangowa added that two months ago, the Ministry of Works and Transport approved about N$40 million to be given to the Roads Authority for the rehabilita- tion of roads and bridges washed away by the 2007/8 floods.
Further, the Division of Hydrology in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry is putting up monitoring stations on the border between Namibia and Angola.
Already, a Telemetric station has been established to monitor water levels in the Cuvelai system in northern Namibia.
Kangowa says unlike in the Caprivi Region where Zambia alerts Namibia on the water levels in the mighty Zambezi, Angola has been unable to provide the information to Namibia due to circumstances beyond their control.
"We just want to prepare ourselves. Regional focus shows that Angola will receive a lot of rain and if it rains heavily in Angola and Zambia, Namibia is likely to be affected too," Kangowa told New Era.
Meanwhile, municipalities in flood-prone areas of the country are reported to be at work on improving the drainage system.
In Oshakati, land has been identified for permanent relocation of families but in the Caprivi Region the issue demands further discussion.
"In Caprivi we still have a long way to go.
"We still have to talk to chiefs to see if land can be identified for relocation," Kangowa said.
He added, "The majority are still in the flood plains and we want them to build second homes on higher ground so that once the alarm is there for floods they move immediately," Kangowa said.
"This thing of government should bring tents, blankets, choppers it is very expensive," he said.
During the 2007/8 rain season, thousands of Namibians were forced to flee their homes.
The floods ravaged crop fields resulting in very poor harvests and brought about water-borne diseases.
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