Addressing the ongoing North West District Council (NWDC) session, council chairperson, Itumeleng Kelebetseng, said the entire Okavango Delta's river systems have experienced above-normal rainfall since December 2024 to date. He further stated that after several years of low inflows, this year shows promise for significant inflows, driven by both local and regional rainfall from Angola and Namibia. The rainfall has significantly contributed to raising the groundwater table and filling channels through surface runoff, he added.
Kelebetseng stated that at the Mohembo gauging station, the Okavango river water level rose to 1.3 meters as of January 10, 2025. “This marks a significant improvement compared to previous years since 2017 when we last had strong inflows and good rains during the Cyclone Dineo. Annual flows are projected to reach Maun by April 2025,” he added. Speaking about the comprehensive monitoring of Salvinia Molesta (Mochimbamo), he stated that it was conducted in most river systems of the lower Okavango Delta despite the challenge of limited resources, especially transport. “In the third quarter, 28 out of 39 (71.8%) monitoring sites were covered. Generally, salvinia infestations in most of the river systems are under control as weevils are present and effective with the plants either completely brown or half green and half brown, indicating impairment,” he said.
