… On the other hand, the water level of the Kavango River at Rundu has remained stable, recording a level of 6.84m on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings. …
… These Namibian political giants have joined the ancestors, but their spirits march with us today along the banks of the Kavango River and elsewhere in our land. …
… According to Namibia Meteorological Services, the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo recorded a level of 6.89 m on Monday morning, while the Kavango River at Rundu measured 7.13 m on the same date. …
… The same warning applies to communities near the Chobe River at Ngoma and the Kavango River at Rundu, which recorded water levels of 3.86 metres and 7.13 metres respectively on Monday. …
… The governor paid tribute to liberation giants and the ordinary villagers of Kavango East, noting that the region served as a frontline where the Kavango River once carried the tension of conflict. …
… The Kavango River at Rundu has now surpassed the 7-metre threshold, reaching 7.28 metres on Thursday, while the Kavango River at Divundu recorded a water level of 4.16 metres on the same day. …
Two children—a Grade 1 pupil and a 15-year-old—drowned in the Kavango River at Divundu after a canoe capsized in a strong current. Residents say police did not respond until Saturday, a day after the Friday incident, raising questions about emergency-response systems in communities along rivers.
Two children—a Grade 1 pupil and a 15-year-old—drowned in the Kavango River at Divundu after a canoe capsized in a strong current. Residents say police did not respond until Saturday, a day after the Friday incident, raising questions about emergency-response systems in communities along rivers.
The Namibian Chamber of Environment has urged the government to abandon the Kavango Link project, a decades-old plan to transfer water from the Kavango River to Windhoek and central areas, arguing it is environmentally unsustainable and could strain relations with Botswana. The chamber's chief executive Chris Brown warned that the river is already exploited by unmonitored green schemes and farms.
A National Unity Democratic Organisation MP has called for an independent audit into a series of fatal electrocution incidents in the electricity sector, citing repeated workplace deaths at regional distributors and claiming eight fatalities have occurred in the sector over the past four years.
The Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, located on the Kavango River in Kavango East Region, conducts scientific research, fish population monitoring and aquaculture development to ensure sustainable management of Namibia's freshwater resources. The institute, established in 2008 and now part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, focuses on freshwater fish communities, conservation and fisheries ecology to benefit current and future generations.
The Namibian reports that Namibia's traditional music communities are systematically excluded from commercial benefits when their ancestral songs and rituals are recorded and licensed by outsiders, receiving minimal compensation while those with recording equipment profit from their heritage.
NamWater says water will be extracted from the Kavango River only during the wet season under the proposed Kavango Link Project, to safeguard the river.
Kavango East and West traditional leaders and community members are opposing NamWater's proposed N$7-billion pipeline to Windhoek, demanding an audit of the Kavango River first and citing inadequate consultation during the planning stages.
Leaders and residents from Kavango East have rejected NamWater's proposed Kavango Link Project, accusing the utility of reviving plans to divert water from the Kavango River.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah visited the Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigation Project in Kavango West Region to assess agricultural productivity and operational progress as part of her national familiarisation tour of Namibia's green schemes.
The Kunene River's discharge rose by more than 300 cubic metres per second over the past week to 894.10 m³/s, and the Kavango and Orange rivers also recorded rising water levels, according to the Hydrological Services of Namibia. In contrast, the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo declined over the same period.
The Kunene River's flow rate at Ruacana declined from 1,540.50 m³/s on Saturday to 1,125.50 m³/s by Monday, though still higher than the 708.10 m³/s recorded on the same date last year. The Zambezi River and other waterways have also experienced declining flows, but water levels remain significantly higher than those of last year.
Namibian and Angolan police are intensifying efforts to combat cross-border smuggling of fuel, cigarettes, counterfeit medicines, and other illicit goods along their 400-kilometre porous border. Despite ongoing raids and arrests, officials acknowledge there is no quick fix to the entrenched cross-border crime.
The Kunene River's flow rate rose from 1,543.9 m³/s on Thursday to 1,545.9 m³/s on Friday, according to Namibia's Hydrological Services, which advised communities downstream of Ruacana to remain on high alert as localised flooding remains a likely risk. The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo has declined but remains significantly higher than last year's corresponding level, prompting a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
The Kunene River's flow rate at Ruacana increased from 1,351.4 m³/s on Wednesday to 1,543.9 m³/s on Thursday, with the Hydrological Services warning communities of sustained upstream inflows and elevated levels. The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo also rose slightly, prompting flood alerts for the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
The Kunene River recorded a flow rate of 1,197.80 cubic metres per second on Tuesday morning, an increase from 1,058.80 m³/s a week earlier, though down from Monday's 1,386.10 m³/s. The Kavango and Zambezi rivers have seen slight declines, and the Hydrological Services of Namibia has issued a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains, urging communities to remain vigilant and activate flood preparedness measures.
At celebrations in Nkurenkuru, Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila commemorated Namibia's independence and the sacrifices of liberation heroes, while calling for renewed focus on socio-economic transformation, agricultural development, and inclusive growth to fulfil the vision of Vision 2030.
Heavy rainfall hit multiple regions including Windhoek, the north, and north-east, causing localised flooding in the capital and rapid river rises in the Zambezi and Kavango regions. Authorities recommend activating flood contingency plans in vulnerable areas across the country.
The Zambezi River has overflowed into eastern floodplains, submerging villages in Kabbe South and Kabbe North, while the Kavango and Chobe rivers also record high water levels. Communities along all three rivers have been advised to remain on alert and activate flood preparedness measures.
Kavango East Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka called on residents to transition from celebrating political freedom to generating shared prosperity, addressing youth unemployment, water provision, and housing as critical challenges while emphasizing that independence must include access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for all families in the region.
Water levels in Namibia's north-eastern rivers—including the Zambezi, Chobe, and Kavango—continued to rise this week, with the Zambezi at Katima Mulilo reaching 6.84 metres and the Kavango at Rundu surpassing 7 metres. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has warned the public to remain vigilant in flood-prone areas and recommended activation of flood risk mitigation and preparedness measures, particularly near the Zambezi River, where the river has overflowed its banks and floodwaters are spreading into the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
Kavango East is one of Namibia's 14 regions in the northeast, covering 23,983.2 km² with Rundu as its administrative centre. The region is divided into six constituencies and its population speaks multiple languages, with Rukwangali (46%), Angolan languages (21%), and Rumanyo (18%) being most common.
Namibia's Hydrological Services warns that the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is rising toward the 7-metre mark and nearly double last year's level, with water overflowing into eastern floodplains. Communities in flood-prone areas across Namibia are urged to activate flood preparedness measures as thundershowers are expected to continue river rises.
The United Democratic Front highlighted pressing challenges affecting communities in Kunene and northern regions during a consultative meeting with President Nandi-Ndaitwah, including human-wildlife conflict that is impoverishing rural households, a legal dispute involving the regional council, housing shortages, and educational inequality between rural and urban schools. The party noted that rural residents bear the costs of wildlife conservation while wild animals are regarded as national assets, and proposed dialogue-based solutions to ongoing disputes.
SASSCAL's Namibia Programme Coordinator emphasised that Namibia's wetlands—including Etosha Pan, the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, and river systems—are critical for agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and water supply, and require protection as they face threats in the dry country. He noted that wetland protection is both an environmental and climate adaptation responsibility, and highlighted SASSCAL's WeMAST monitoring initiative while calling for inclusive science and stronger community and women's voices in water governance.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo has risen to 6.76 metres, significantly higher than recent years and well above last week's 3.99m reading. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has issued a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains and recommended that communities nationwide activate flood preparedness measures, as several other rivers including the Kavango and Orange are also elevated.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo rose 3.05 metres in a week to reach 6.68m by Monday, March 9, 2026, significantly higher than the 2.06m recorded on the same date last year. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has warned surrounding communities to be cautious as the river overflows its banks into the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is overflowing with water levels near 5 metres, a significant rise from levels recorded in February. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has called for intensified flood preparedness efforts in flood-prone areas including the Zambezi, Kavango, Kunene, and Orange River regions.
The central government has approved N$108 million to address dangerous stormwater and erosion problems in Rundu's Tutungeni suburb, with work now underway by Chinese contractor CHICO. The project involves constructing an underground canal system and stabilising slopes near the Kavango River to prevent sinkholes threatening homes and infrastructure.
David Dinyando, from Mushangara village in Angola, was among over 150 pupils in Kavango East who paddled canoes across the Kavango River daily to attend school, risking crocodiles, hippos, and drowning, yet persisted to complete Grade 12 and now studies teaching at university. School authorities and teachers have reported the persistent safety crisis to local officials without action.
Namibia Meteorological Services predicts thunderstorms across northern, central and southern regions this weekend, with widespread rainfall expected Saturday and risk of flooding, particularly in areas near rivers where water levels have risen steadily. Communities are advised to exercise caution.