The radar screen is already showing red on the panel projecting the brinks of the Okavango River, as latest situational analysis conclusions point to the prospect of an even more destructive over spilling into settlements bordering on the deltas.
As a result, officials of the natural disaster management unit (NDMU) of the Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) have been running helter skelter lately to devise ways of minimizing the adverse impact of the imminent floods.
Kgomotsego Motlopi, National Coordinator of the BRCS NDMU, said, “Given that floods engulfed parts of the area last year(2009), it becomes imperative for the community, and local disaster committees to be positioned strategically, such that if the same scenario recurred this year the number of casualties would be reduced to the barest minimum.”
She pointed out that recent revelations that water levels within the Okavango River are rising rapidly, almost threatening to surpass those of the same time last year offered compelling reason to fear for the worst.
According to the results of a broad based data analysis drawn from interactions and discussions with a number of interested government departments and people around the areas usually prone to floods, the risk is escalating day after day.
Reports last year, March 2009 indicated that the region was hit by a flood disaster that resulted in the evacuation of victims from the area to a sizeable number of evacuation camps in the villages of Gudigwa Gonoxoga, Ikoga, Etsha 13 and Xakao.
Others found refuge in Kauxwi, Eretsh, Kajaja and Sepopa as Mowana and Jao flats.
Office of the President (OP)-based National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and BRCS then pooled resources at the time in the form of tents and essential non- food items (NFI) to provide relief to the disaster victims.
Information passed to the Sunday Standard indicates that while in terms of sanitation and general health issues, the situation is still under control an extensive preliminary assessment of the status of the evacuees points to a precarious food situation in the safety settlements.
This was confirmed by the BRCS officials thus, “It has emerged from our own evaluation exercise that the victims’ means of livelihood have been seriously undermined by the floods as some lost their crops, yet again others have been unable to plough because evacuation camps are set upon their fields.”
To compound matters a ban on fishing in the area seems to have aggravated an already vulnerable situation.
Notwithstanding this scenario, it was established by the Sunday Standard that although, the river is currently not badly flooding, latest indications are that it has started spilling out and there is mounting evidence that its discharge is increased, and rising levels have become a cause of concern.
Daily News has reported that an alert message has been issued from the OP-based committee dealing with such issues.
One official who was privy to the results of the evacuation process intimated that, usually when the river starts its first flow for the first peak the water levels would have gone down to the average of 0.2m/0.3m.
The new trend now is reportedly such that, while last year levels were 0.253m as at three weeks ago, this year the level has rocketed up to an all high of 0.738m.
Apparently, this means that when the river started to receive new flow this year, there was still a lot of water in the river.
Basing on the evaluation report, BRCS officials pointed out that, the fact that the channels of the delta usually dried up before the arrival of the new flow, yet this time the flow found them still content with lots of water, formed sufficient basis to fear for a catastrophic replay of last year events.
It is clear though that flow is far above normal and the recent rains and prospects for more showers might suggest an assured build up to the worst,” cautioned Motlopi.
In spite of this blood curdling scenario, a recent monitoring visit by BRCS officials to the areas, has reportedly established that indeed, despite the already volatile situation at the evacuation camps emanating from diminishing providences the floods are now more likely to cover beyond the previous landscape.
This, taken against concerns that last year’s relief interventions focused largely on food provision and temporary shelter, possibly feasible mainly as emergency measures then, the inherent vulnerabilities of disaster victims are less likely to abate.
It is against this background, according to Motlopi, that BRCS in consultation with their key partners in disaster management have set out to examine the impact with a view to determining a proactive strategic preemptive response where practicable.
“While specific dates are to be set, it has been decided that in the course of these coming two months the National Society should move to employ drastic measures to empower the localities for any eventualities,” said the Motlopi.
