Namibia braces for floods

[senorpepr]

Windhoek - While large parts of southern Africa battle with drought, Namibians, especially those in the north-east of the country, are bracing themselves for floods.

Jennifer Moetie, chief meteorological technician at the Windhoek Weather Bureau, says substantial downfalls have been recorded in recent months, even though the rainy season has yet to start properly.

The rainy season starts officially in October, but the heavy rains usually come between January and April.

In January alone, 262.2mm of rain fell in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, with the average usually around 154 millimetres a year.

While the rains have been welcomed in the semi-desert south, east and central areas, there are fears of a repeat of last year's flooding in the north-eastern Caprivi region.

Zambezi rising

The Zambezi river, usually the main source of overflows in this area, is reported to be rising and a senior research technician in the northern town of Katima Mulilo, Vincent Simana, says the situation is worsened by the fact that most streams had not dried after last year's floods.

Major floods are expected and people living in the flood plains have to start making arrangements to relocate to higher ground so that they will not be caught unawares like last year, Simana said.

The 2003 overflows displaced more than a thousand people, while farmers struggled to find grazing for their stock. Government, United Nations agencies and the Red Cross had to step in to provide food, tents and mosquito nets for people and animals affected by the floods.

Caprivi regional governor Bernard Sibalatani has also warned people to monitor water levels and be able to move immediately.

He expressed concern about fishermen in flood-prone areas, who are reluctant to abandon their businesses and travel to high-lying regions

The heavy rains have also taken a toll on Windhoek, where a woman drowned earlier this month after being swept away by flood waters. Cars have been washed away, and the electricity and sewerage systems damaged.

Gone in minutes

One Windhoek resident whose home was flooded said, "I don't know where to start. My carpets and everything I owned was gone in a matter of minutes."

The local council estimates that emergency assistance and repairs to infrastructure will cost about US800 000.

It has blamed at least some of the flooding on the fact that refuse was dumped illegally in river beds, obstructing the normal flow of water.

In addition, officials say the current crisis has been exacerbated by the fact that people have started to settle along river banks and other areas that are vulnerable to floods.

Long periods of drought had led residents to believe that these areas were now immune to overflows.