SHORT DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

A pre-feasibility study to identify options for SADC countries to utilise water from the Congo River was commissioned by the Namibian government who also funded the project.

The study looks at utilising water from the upper reaches of the Congo River, by transporting it via the upper reaches of the Okavango and Zambezi rivers to dryer SADC countries in the south. By using these water courses, the pumping distances and heights required to transfer the water from river to river are relatively short.

However, the challenges faced by such a project are considerable and the pre-feasibility study includes addressing the problem of water transference between different river basins and the potential environmental impact this could have. This may require a water filtering and chlorination inter-basin transfer station which would ensure and protect the unique environmental state of each basin.

The study - apart from obtaining and analysing the hydrological and environmental data of the Congo River Basin - further requires collecting and collating water supply and future water requirement data from the DRC, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, RSA, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Desk study on the utilisation of the water resources of the Congo River Basin.