SUPPORT for HIMBA COMMUNITY

Namibia: Hydropower Plan in Spotlight Again

Brigitte Weidlich

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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.

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