| The Himba people have last laugh |
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| Written by Staff Reporters | ||||
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Nature and eco tourism lovers must have been the happiest people this week when the Namibian and Angolan governments announced the abandonment of plans to built the Epupa Dam on the Kunene River for the much more environmental friendly Baynes Hydro Power Project.
More than 10 years ago, when plans to built the Epupa Project were
announced, the Himba people - with the backing of local and
international environment groups - protested against the development of
the dam saying that it would destroy their nomadic lives on both the
Namibian and Angolan sides of the Kunene River. The people, who had opposed the project, had said the dam would also cause damage to the Kunene’s ecosystems. The Baynes Project is expected to produce 480 MW of electricity. The Namibian and Angolan Permanent Joint Technical Commission on the Cunene River Basin said this week that it had agreed that, despite the nine months that had lapsed since the last revised consultancy proposal was presented to the client, the commencement price, organisational structure and staffing required for the duration of the techno-economic study would remain unchanged. The commission further resolved after extensive consultation with the Cunene Consortium - which will undertake the environment impact study - that it will be required to furnish the commission with satisfactory evidence that the stipulated insurance is in place. On the part of the commission, it was resolved that the respective governments of Namibia and Angola should ensure as a matter of urgency that the “site” within each country’s own borders is cleared of landmines and other unexploded devices that could pose risks. On this premise, the commission and the Cunene Consortium agreed on the final proposal and consultancy agreement, which was signed a while ago signifying the official commencement of the process of the techno-economic study on the Baynes. The study will be carried out in three distinct phases: With regards to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the commission resolved that the environmental study would be carried out independently from the techno-economic study by regional consultants who will be appointed within the next four months. The EIA consultants will collaborate with the Cunene Consortium during Phase II and Phase III of the study. |
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