The Cubango-Okavan river basingo plays an important role in supplying water to more than a million people, reveals a study carried out by researchers from National Geographic (NG) that will be presented at the 1st Investor Forum for the Angola region, taking place from today until on the 22nd of this month, at Cuando Cubango
NG experts will also present the Ramsar site, called “Lisima Lya Mwono” (“Source of Life”, in Portuguese), a wetland of international importance, which covers an area of approximately 53,000 square kilometers and supports the lives of several important species of fauna and flora.
Participants in the aforementioned event, including nationals and foreigners, will come into contact with the limits established by the NG, around the Angola Highlands Water Tower – AHWT. According to a note from NG that OPAÍS took exception to, the data indicates that there is an average of 423 cubic kilometers of rain falling on the AHWT each year, which is equivalent to almost 170 million Olympic swimming pools.
Such data indicate that the AHWT occupies an area of 380,382 square kilometers, providing freshwater resources to seven countries — Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Botswana. “The AHWT supplies water to some of the world’s most important biodiversity areas, including the Okavango Delta, which provides vital habitat for iconic species, including the largest remaining population of endangered African elephants,” he said.
This study was the first to define the boundary of the AHWT as an area of the Central Bié Plateau in Angola above an elevation of 1,274 meters. The NGOWP defined the AHWT threshold using 40 years of regional precipitation data. “Like most water towers in Africa, the Angolan Highlands Water Tower lacks snow or ice,” he explains.