Thread: Say NO to dam at Baynes Mountains

The dam will not mean the end of the Himba. The dam will mean the end of interference from treehuggers and such from Europe. The dam will mean that some Himba will have to move some km further on.

All, and I mean all, the exitement and incitement has been caused by European do-gooders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it really, Pietro!? NOt if you care an iota what the HImba's themselves have to say about it. Here's just one small quote: "As we are, we are weak - I think this is why the government wants to build a dam without consulting us, because they think we are nothing," said Hunga. "They think they can just construct a dam without asking permission."

But then in your mind the Himba aren't really that a sophisticated people who deserve to be respected and consulted, right? I mean why on earth consult people you are about to "move a few km" if you can bulldoze them a few km this or that way, right? Apart from that there are not many trees to hug in Kunene.

The "excitement" you refer to be has been caused by people who think a bit about this scheme and conclude that it does not make sense.

Comrade_007,

It is not quite as easy as you try and make it.

The plan has been on the cards even before independence and the late Polla Brand (the MD of SWAWEK, the forerunner of NAMPOWER) spearheaded the project. When Dr. Leake Hangala took over the MD position some time after independence, he commissioned a number of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies. The nothing was really known about "global warming and the devastating effect it could have upon Namibia, but I do seem to remember that the dam was not the only thing to be developed. IF my memory serves me right, a huge tourist attraction was going to be developed, with water sports, etc, as well as areas for the more environmentally-sensitive tourist.

Even in those years it was a billion N$ project.

Ample provision had been made for the local population (the Himbas) and their (economic) future.

Then European (you see, I have, unfortunately, to agree with Pietro) started sticking their noses into the project. They invited some of the Himba chiefs to Germany and treated them with every imaginable courtesy - all the while impressing upon them the need to keep their ancestral land and categorically reject ANY development of the area. It is believed, but never proven, that substantial amounts of money may have changed hands.

Even at that time the Himbas were split on the issue. Those favouring the opposition against it and those favouring the ruling party for it.

Once the media got hold of this, every so-called "friend of the environment" - including Bertchen Kohrs of the Local Earthlife Namibia - jumped upon the bandwagon and started making a big hullabaloo. They had the full support of the German Greens and their other friends - incidentally the same people who are supporting Chief Riruako in his multi-million N$ dollar claims against Germany..

In those years Namibia needed a wholesome image (being just after independence) and the plan was not shelved, but put on the backburner - simply because, at that time, it was not all that urgent and there were some other alternatives.

Now, with SA running out of power and staying out of power for the foreseeable future, Zimbabwe having slid much further down the slipperly slope of damnation, Angola not getting anywhere very fast, the other countries in the region also not being all that eager to share, the picture started changing again.

Global warming and all its dire consequences for the country became the flavour of the year and Namibia urgently started needing both water AND electricity.

The plan was resurrected and the dam moved further away from the so-called traditional areas of the Himbas - to the Baynes Mountains (earlier a possible second choice).

Hangala would have stood up against the eurocentric and very unprofessional howling of those who only know what they read and have never been in Namibia or have experienced Namibia or, even, have made a proper study of the area and its people, but Shilamba will probably succumb to the vociferous, yet useless and dangerous absolute, minority.

Prepare for water-saving measures and load-shedding....................

How many shares have you in the thing, Oneword?? Or how much are they paying for that PR?

In case you have missed the latest developments:

Angola: Country and Namibia Name Firm to Implement Dam Project

11 February 2009

Luanda — The governments of Angola and Namibia have appointed the international consulting firm ERM-Environmental Resources Management to implement the joint hydroelectric project of Baynes, in Cunene River basin.

According to a press note from the Joint Permanent Technical Commission for the Cunene River Basin (CTPC), received by ANGOP last Tuesday, the appointment of ERM took place following a competitive tender and a strict assessment of the received proposals.

The document also states that ERM will analyse the impact of the project on the natural and human environment, adding that the firm's technical team is already set up, and includes specialists in the environmental field.

and ......................

Namibia: Hydropower Plan in Spotlight Again

The Namibian
Brigitte Weidlich
11 February 2009

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a large hydropower scheme on the Kunene River near the Baynes Mountains has gained new momentum with the appointment of a British company to conduct the environmental impact assessment.

"The governments of Angola and Namibia have - through the Joint Permanent Technical Commission (PJTC) - appointed Environmental Resources Management (ERM) with headquarters in London, Britain, to undertake the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed Baynes hydropower project," the PJTC announced on Monday.

"The ERM team for the EIA includes substantial local expertise, especially in the environmental and social fields," according to the PJTC statement.

"The EIA will include public participation that will include communities in both Angola and Namibia and affected parties in the project area to voice their concerns, opinions and ideas about the project."

The PJTC said "it should be noted that no decision about the Baynes project will be taken until all the studies and consultations have been completed and thoroughly analysed and discussed at many different levels".

Tenders via the Namibia Tender Board of the Finance Ministry for the EIA closed on October 22 2008, but no bids were received. As a result, the deadline was extended to November 3 2008.

Parallel to the EIA, a technical and economic viability study for N$80 million is under way. It is being conducted by the Cunene Consortium comprising of the four Brazilian companies Odebrecht, Electrobras, Furnas and Engevix.

The proposed Baynes hydropower project would generate 480 megawatt of electricity and was originally planned further east near the scenic Epupa waterfall.

The Epupa site would have submerged the entire valley and the waterfall and was vehemently opposed by the Himba community and environmentalists. Their fierce opposition made international headlines.

It was seen as potentially destroying the Himbas' way of life. It was also predicted that it would cause immense damage to the Kunene's ecosystems.

The Baynes project, which includes a hydropower station and a storage dam, will cost approximately N$8 billion. Costs will be shared by Angola and Namibia.

The 1995 feasibility study on Epupa cost N$40 million - the most expensive study of its type ever undertaken in Namibia then.

Be the first to Write a Comment!

Copyright © 2009 The Namibian. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles

In the name of national interest, it may seem imperative for Namibia to have the thumbs up for development such as that, which in the end will mostly benefit the likes of individuals earning around 1,6 million a year-considering such shocking imbalances in the Namibian society, it is difficult to term any concerned himba a 'minority that does not count' ..... just saying

We have condemned Epupa; we are condemning Baynes.

By the time we have pleased and accommodated and placated all environmentalists, we will be dying of thirst, our fields will be dust bowls and our cattle and small stock mere skeletons.

Sometimes on is forced to choose the lesser of two evils ..........

Threatening Tradition


A potential dam in the Kunene Region would impact Himba families.

Is government listening to their concerns?


Read this in-depth report to some of the key issues around the proposed hydro-power scheme of the Kunene River

31 Aug 2009: With the roar of the Epupa Falls in the background, hundreds of traditional leaders and community members from across the Kunene Region recently descended upon a meeting designed to give local people a voice in the search for electricity-generation options.

The electro-hydro dam, which would stretch across a gorge from the Namibian to Angolan side of the border, would:

dramatically increase water levels 40 km upriver,
submerge ancestral graves of the Himba,
flood traditional homes, and
result in the loss of grazing land. -
Lack of Power
Renewed investment and interest has both the Angolan and Namibian governments looking at generating power from the River. This, officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mines say, would help alleviate Namibia’s power deficit and reliance on energy imports from foreign SADC countries.

A team of experts, funded by a consortium of four Brazilian companies, are currently conducting a feasibility study that explores the possibility of constructing a joint hydro-electric dam along the Kunene River. Located about 40 kilometres downriver from the Epupa Falls, power generated from the site will be shared between Angolan and Namibian electricity users.

Impact to the Himba
At the meeting, Himba leaders spoke loudly and passionately. The issues were far reaching: the impacts to health, to the environment, to traditional livelihoods and to the social fabric of an indigenous population.

“If this dam goes through, this will be the end of the Himba,” one Epupa-resident proclaimed following the meeting.

Now if this sounds like a familiar story, it’s because it is.

A History of Damming of the Kunene
The idea of damming the Kunene River has been suggested for more than 80 years. Since colonial times, governments of both Namibia and Angola have marvelled at the Kunene River and wondered about power generation options. In 1969, a development plan was signed which resulted in the construction of the Gove Dam in Angola and the Ruacana hydropower scheme.

In the 1990s, an independent Namibia and Angola opened the doors to further exploring power generation from the Kunene River. With Epupa Falls earmarked as a the best-possible site for a dam, and the Baynes location explored as a second option, the dam threatened to permanently alter the unique ecosystem, flood the spectacular Epupa Falls, and force the relocation of many of the Himba, disrupting their traditional way of life.

LAC Protects Minorities
Since 1995, the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has assisted the Himba community to negotiate with the government about the proposed Epupa Dam on the Kunene River. Throughout the process, the LAC has maintained a neutral position regarding the building of the dam. The LAC’s involvement is due to its mandate that it was a human rights organisation with a focus on marginalised communities. Therefore the LAC has a responsibility to the Himba people to advise them on their rights, support them with expert legal advice and to analyse the process of the environmental and social impact reports.

During this process in the ‘90s, little consultation was given to the Himba. Led by Chief Hikuminue Kapika, the Himba worried about the loss of distinct flora and fauna, the disappearance of grazing land, the submergence of ancestral burial grounds and the relocation of 1,000 people who were classified as ‘permanent users’ of the affected area. Their calls for the dam plans to be scrapped played loudly on both the national and international level.

While political wrangling unfolded between the then-Nujoma led government and Chief Kapika, ultimately plans to build the dam at Epupa were scrapped.

Power Generation Options
Now, a decade later, renewed investment and interest has both the Angolan and Namibian governments looking at generating power from the Baynes area. This, officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mines say, would help alleviate Namibia’s power deficit and reliance on energy imports from foreign SADC countries. It is one of several power-generation options Namibia is currently exploring to meet its rapidly growing power needs.

With Namibia power generation projects at Ruacana, Van Eck and Paratas only meeting 40 per cent of the need, the country was forced to approach other southern Africa states when the South African imports ended. Currently, contracts with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Zambia are meeting the outstanding 60 per cent of the consumption.

Aside from the Baynes hydro electric project, which is estimated to cost between US$5 Billion and upwards, the government is investigating other power generation options. In Oranjemund, the government is looking at extracting natural gas found several kilometres below the ocean floor. Two potential projects are being suggested for Walvis Bay: a diesel peaking station and a coal fired plant.

Renewable energy projects are not believed to have significant impact in meeting Namibia’s power needs.

With the feasibility study already underway, a series of meetings have been organised to listen to the concerns of people on a national, regional and local level in both Namibia and Angola.

Consultation Meetings Called into Question
At the end of June, more than 300 Himba and Herero people gathered at Epupa Falls where the proposed dam project was explained. Repeatedly, the team conducting the feasibility study told those gathered that, “Everybody affected by this project will have the opportunity to raise their concerns and questions around this project.” This commitment to true community involvement is a welcome departure from the past. But is it just lip service?

During the meeting, concerns about pastoral grazing, ancestral burial grounds and the economic impact were heard. As with the Epupa hydroelectric debate in the 1990s, the rising waters threaten to have a major impact on the environment and the Himba’s traditional way of life. Aside from the dam, there is concern about a power generation station, power lines, new roads and a village to house 5,000 construction workers and their families would be built. While this infrastructure will be located in the backyards of the pastoralist Himba, it should be noted that most of the electricity will not benefit them as many are likely to continue to live without power.

The dramatic influx of potential outsiders is also a cause of concern. In other countries, dams have been directly blamed for shattering the culture and family structures of indigenous people, along with leading to higher rates of poverty. In the Kunene Region, community leaders worry that the HIV rate would dramatically increase if an influx of a labour force from other areas resettled in the area.

Himba Voices Must Be Part of Dialogue
While this process continues, it must be emphasized that particular attention must be heeded to the people who have lived in this region for centuries. To the outsider, the Himba can appear exotic and their lifestyle a window into the past. In reality, the Himba should be heard as people actively interacting with a changing society while still trying to maintain a link with their traditions. For them, this development will have a direct impact on their families, their livelihoods and the social fabric of their society both now and for generations to come.

Their fears and concerns must be legitimized, not marginalised.


Legal Assistance Centre-Namibia

Dear Comrade_007,

I have had some time to think about the ver-increasing scarcity of water in the countries that could/might be affected by a change in the traditional climate. You well know by now that the chances are pretty good that Namibia will become even more arid in the years to come with less rain in the rainy season.

OK, so what do we do when we need to conserve more water over an extended period because we need X mm of rain pa, but it only rains Y mm? To my mind simple: we build additional dams - the bigger, the better.


Why should billions of litres of good, potable water run into the ocean if at least part of this run-off can be stored for human use?

If climate change really hits Namibia's coastal and other arid parts, the areas will become unsuitable for human habitation and the populace will move or is moved to somewhere they can still exist, albeit in their own, traditional way.

The very same NGO's that are now facilitating the feeling against the building of the dam up north we be those clamouring in the fora for the relocation of the people that we are now allowing to "perish" in their traditional tribal areas.

Well, perish the thought and let's do right now (while there is still time) that which we will be forced to do anyway in some 20,30 or even 40 years' time!

I wouldn't at all be surprised if we hear within the next few weeks or even months from one of the international fora that big dams are no longer a no-no, but have become an absolute imperative if some countries want to survive beyond being an infertile, dry waste land after the year 2 100.