Orange–Senqu River Basin Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
International agreements
Namibia is party to the main international agreements related to the management of water and other natural resources. Namibia is party to the SADC Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses, the regional framework agreement for the management of shared rivers. The country has also ratified the 1997 UN Convention on the Non-navigable Uses of International Watercourses (although this convention is not in force as it has not yet received the required minimum number of 35 ratifications globally). Furthermore, Namibia is party to a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements on the Orange–Senqu River. It is also party to a number of major multilateral environmental agreements (Ruppel and Ruppel-Schlichting, 2011), as shown in Table 34. Table 34: Main international agreements ratified by Namibia © John Pallett
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The halfmens, Pachypodium namaquanum, is endemic to the Succulent Karoo which straddles the western-most stretches of the lower Orange River.
International agreement
Date*
Samewerkingsooreenkoms Tussen die Regering van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika en die Oorgangsregering van Nasionale Eenheid van Suidwes-Afrika/Namibie Betreffende die Beheer, Ontwikkeling en Benutting van die Water van die Oranjerivier Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Agreement on the Establishment of a Permanent Water Commission between Namibia and South Africa Agreement on the Vioolsdrift and Noordoewer Joint Irrigation Scheme between Namibia and South Africa United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) UN Convention on the Non-navigable Uses of International Watercourses ORASECOM Agreement Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity Revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses Treaty on the Establishment of /Ai-/Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
1987 1990 1992 1992 1992 1992 1995 1995 2000 2000 2000 2003 2003 2003 2005
* Date of ratification or accession
Domestic legal and institutional frameworks for water and natural resources management
The Namibian legislative framework and institutional landscape for water resources management has recently undergone a transition towards an IWRMbased approach. This brings legislation in line with internationally accepted principles for water resources management. Table 35 provides an overview of institutional responsibilities for water management in terms of the new dispensation.