The Minister of Water and Human Settlement, Onneetse Ramogapi, has called for a transparent investigation into the alarmingly low water levels in Gaborone Dam inspite of the current heavy rains. The dam’s dismal water levels has once again sparked widespread concern among the general public and experts alike, writes
Gaborone Dam, which is Botswana’s second largest dam after Dikgatlhong, and a lifeline for the capital city and the rest of southeastern Botswana, stands at a dismal 35% despite weeks of heavy rains that have replenished other reservoirs across the country.
While authorities describe it as a complex challenge in finding the right balance between rural and urban water supply development, some critics see it as a long-standing scandal driven by self-interest and mismanagement.
In 2014, the Sunday Standard newspaper ran a story headlined “The rich blocking water flow into Gaborone Dam” according to which the results of a study commissioned by Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) had revealed that private dams were blocking the flow of water into the Gaborone Dam, resulting in lower water levels and water rationing.
Persistent secrecy
Before the story, numerous scholastic studies had made similar observations that the problem of private reservoirs had plagued the dam for years with no viable solution in sight.
Asked this week whether he is aware of the situation at Gaborone Dam, the Minister of Water and Human Settlement, Onneetse Ramogapi, responded: “Yes, and I think at the core of this problem lies the persistent secrecy surrounding the factors contributing to the challenges.
“There is an urgent need for an open and transparent investigation into why the dam continues to experience alarmingly low water levels despite recent heavy rains. This investigation must not only uncover the causes but also propose actionable recommendations that should be implemented without delay.”
What the minister may not know is that WUC has a detailed report on the problems surrounding Gaborone Dam but one whose details have been concealed from the public. In 2017, this publication mounted legal action in a bid to compel WUC to provide it with the report on the grounds that doing so was in the public interest and good governance.
Not impeachable
However, WUC refused and mounted a spirited defence, arguing that its decision not to provide the report is not impeachable for any reason at all because the report was not intended for public consumption. In making his ruling, High Court judge Omphemetse Motumise agreed with WUC that the results of the research are the property of the utility and that “the Corporation has not determined to release any such information or results of the search to your client or any third party”. The Botswana Gazette has since appealed the judge’s ruling and the case is pending before the Court of Appeal.
The Gazette’s court action followed a 2014 story about 2014 records of the Department of Water Affairs that revealed that the number of small dams in the catchment area of Gaborone Dam had risen to 237.
Former CEO of WUC
In an interview over what he experienced during his tenure at WUC, a former CEO of the parastatal, Mmetla Masire, said: “I think it is now common knowledge that there are numerous small farm dams within the catchment areas of Gaborone Dam. The increasing development of these smaller dams impacts the availability of water for Gaborone Dam that supplies urban and industrial users.
“This creates a conflict between the water needs of rural users and those of urban and industrial users. It is a complex situation because these smaller dams also play important roles in many people’s livelihoods and cannot be wished away just like that.”
Speaking at a recent press briefing, Masire’s successor, Gaselemogwe Senai, attributed the dam’s low levels to multiple factors, including poor inflows from the catchment area, high evaporation rates, and increased urban water consumption.
25% catchment runoff intercepted
In his 1995 paper titled “The Impact of Small Farm Reservoirs on Urban Water Supplies in Botswana,” hydrologist Jeremy Meigh wrote: “The small dams intercepted 25% of the Ngotwane River catchment runoff, resulting in a 30% decline in the sustainable yield of the Gaborone Dam.”
He warned that the results clearly indicate the adverse effect which “uncontrolled development of farm reservoirs have on the water supplies from the major reservoirs”. He continued: “By quantifying these effects, planners have some of the necessary information to determine the optimum balance between development of small scale rural water supplies and large-scale urban supplies.
“Within the catchments of these reservoirs there is also considerable demand for agricultural water supply, and over the years large numbers of small dams have been constructed … Development of small farm dams upstream of major reservoirs should never be allowed to proceed unplanned.” Meigh added that it is necessary to assess these effects and weigh the benefits of rural development against the adverse effects to urban water users.
Downstream impact
“As far as possible, small dams should be located in the upper parts of the catchment where they will have a smaller effect on downstream flows compared to placing them further downstream. Also, the development of fewer somewhat larger dams, which minimises evaporation losses, should be preferred to numerous smaller dams of the same total capacity, as it is found that this reduces the downstream impact.”
According to experts, the City of Gaborone and its environs is the leading consumer of water in southeastern Botswana, with a cumulative demand of 30 MCUMs per annum or about 75% of all water consumed in the eastern belt of the country.
The Ngotwane River catchment caters for both through the large dams (Gaborone, Bokaa and Nnywane) and the 237 small farm dams, a few of which predate Gaborone Dam. Both sets of dams were constructed lawfully and with government financial and/or policy support, according to some scholars. Other scholars hold that “the two classes of dam are needed, as, in our view, they complement each other in advancing the socio-economic welfare of Batswana”.