The development of the OKACOM Strategy
Background
The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is one of the largest transboundary river systems in Southern Africa, originating in Angola and forming an inland delta in the Kalahari Desert. The basin supports diverse ecosystems, including the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that sustains rich biodiversity and provides critical ecosystem services. The basin also supports the livelihoods of more than one million people across Angola, Namibia, and Botswana through agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and tourism, contributing significant socio-economic value to the region.
Despite its importance, the basin faces significant challenges related to limited knowledge of hydrogeological formations and groundwater occurrence, particularly in transboundary aquifer zones. Groundwater monitoring systems remain unevenly developed across the basin, resulting in critical data gaps that constrain integrated water resources planning and sustainable management. Many rural communities rely heavily on groundwater for domestic use, agriculture, and livestock, making them particularly vulnerable to resource depletion and inadequate management practices.
The basin is also highly vulnerable to climate change, with projected increases in temperature, reduced rainfall, and shifting flood and drought patterns expected to place additional pressure on water resources and ecosystems. Future development initiatives, particularly expansion of irrigation and groundwater abstraction, may further affect water availability and ecosystem health if not properly managed.
The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission has emphasised the need for coordinated and sustainable water governance through its basin management frameworks, which promote integrated planning, ecosystem protection, and socio-economic development. In this context, the development of a groundwater management strategy is essential to improve hydrogeological knowledge, strengthen transboundary cooperation, and support the sustainable use and protection of groundwater resources in the basin, thereby enhancing community resilience and long-term environmental sustainability.
Project objectives
The objective of the project is to develop a comprehensive groundwater management strategy for the Cubango-Okavango River Basin to strengthen hydrogeological knowledge, improve transboundary groundwater monitoring and governance, and promote the sustainable and coordinated use and protection of groundwater resources to support ecosystem health, climate resilience, and socio-economic development within the basin.
Project progress
The strategy was completed in December 2025
Project achievements
A comprehensive stakeholder engagement report, a detailed concept note, and a groundwater management strategy for the Cubango-Okavango River Basin were successfully developed and finalised. All planned deliverables under the project were completed in accordance with the project objectives and scope, reflecting the successful implementation of all required activities and outputs.