This letter was sent to the government of Botswana, in response to the government's letter to Delta community groups concerned about the Okavango pipeline project.

21 April, 1998

Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs
Office of the President
Private Bag 001
Gaborone

Dear Mr. Selepeng:

On behalf of the Okavango Liaison Group, I thank you for your letter of 18 December, 1997, responding to the letter from Okavango Delta communities regarding the Namibian government proposal to abstract water from the Okavango River, which was sent on 2 December, 1997, to the President of Namibia and the President of Angola, as well as the President of Botswana. The Okavango Liaison Group has disseminated your letter to all of the communities that joined in sending the original letter, and they requested the OLG to relay to you their initial responses to your letter.

You asked the communities to take note that other riparian states have the right to use water from the Okavango River. The communities would like to clarify that their original letter did not go as far as requesting that no water be used. Rather, it requested Namibia not to extract water "unless there is no other alternative", and only after the river and delta have been studied "to determine how much water can be extracted without hurting the delta and our communities." These requests are predicated on the understanding that the Okavango is a shared water basin and that riparian countries are entitled to use the water provided that their use of water does no harm to other riparian states. The aim of the letter was to persuade Namibia to turn to the fragile Okavango only after exhausting other alternatives, and if necessary, to extract water from the Okavango River in a volume and manner that does not harm the communities' livelihoods. The communities concern over the pipeline's impact are greatly heightened given the alarmingly low flows the delta has experienced in recent decades.

You also recommended that the communities focus on a multilateral study to ensure that any riparian state which decides to extract water from the Okavango River does not prejudice the rights of other states to receive their fair share of the water. The communities interpreted this as encouragement for the communities to participate in upcoming planning processes affecting the Okavango River and Delta, including the OKACOM basinwide integrated management planning process. The Okavango Liaison Group and delta communities plan to work with OKACOM and other Okavango basin stakeholders to develop a process by which stakeholders will be able to play a meaningful role in developing the management plan for the river and delta.

Finally, the communities wanted to express their interest in working positively with the Botswana government to ensure that the Okavango Delta can continue to play its critical role in sustaining communities and contributing to Botswana's economy while not precluding the wise use of the Okavango's resources. However, the communities conveyed their concern that the Botswana government has not expressed the same level of concern as the communities for the future of the Okavango Delta.

We look forward to exploring ways in which we may work together for the sustainable future of the Okavango River and Delta.

Yours sincerely,

Kgosi Tawana II
Paramount Chief of Ngamiland
for the Okavango Liaison Group
and on behalf of the communities of the Okavango Delta.