International environmental organisations have launched an initiative to collect comprehensive data and information to support conservation plans for rivers and water sources in south-east Angola, The Nature Conservation (TNC) announced on Monday.
In a statement released today, TNC emphasises that the aim of the experts is to find ways to protect the pristine sources of some of Africa’s most emblematic rivers in southeast Angola, to maintain their conservation status ‘for the benefit of nature and the region’s communities’.
The origins of these rivers include the Cubango-Okavango, Cuando and Zambezi rivers, whose basins are recognised as one of the five most intact areas of high biodiversity and wilderness in the world.
“Their sources sustain rich biodiversity, vital wetlands and provide immense social and cultural value,” the press release emphasises, highlighting the importance of investing in protection measures and sustainable land use management, while promoting nature-based economic activities such as ecotourism.
The initiative is led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the Cunene River Basin Administration Office (GABHIC) and the National Water Resources Institute (INRH) and is aimed at protecting water sources, reviewing the areas of the Mavinga and Luengue-Luiana National Parks, and exploring the establishment of community-based conservation and co-management areas.
Southeast Angola has some of the most significant river systems in Africa, contributing around 120 to 150 cubic kilometres of runoff per year, or approximately 8,000 to 10,000 cubic metres of water per inhabitant per year.
The Cubango-Okavango basin alone is crucial for maintaining a diverse range of wildlife, the organisation stresses, also pointing to the significant social and cultural value of the rivers with “untapped potential to support economic development through nature-based industries such as ecotourism”.
TNC also points out that conditions in this region are changing due to dams and hydropower diversions, persistent deforestation and an increasing concentration of human activity along the main rivers and streams, which can put strains on freshwater systems.
