Rehabilitation and Expansion of Existing Infrastructure

With much of the existing infrastructure having been damaged or only being partially functional during the war, work has started in recent years to rehabilitate and / or update it, with almost all the work occurring in the Angolan section of the basin. Rehabilitation work is currently being undertaken on most of the major infrastructure.

The Rehabilitation and Improvement of Existing Dams and Weirs

Three major structures directly on the river in Angola will have all been renovated and improved by the end of 2011. Two of these, the Gove Dam and the Calueque Weir, are key elements of the Kunene River Scheme, whilst the third, the Matala Weir, is important for irrigation and Hydropower Generation in Angola. The work to be carried out is summarised in the table below:

Planned Rehabilitation and Extension Work of Existing Infrastructure within the Kunene River Basin

Structure	Rehabilitation and improvement work
Gove dam	Installation of 3 francis turbines, each with a capacity of 20.62 MW Heightening of the dam Rehabilitation of all drainage works Treatment and strengthening of foundations Installation of a monitoring system  Repairs to the inlet and outlet structures and the downstream rockfill face
Matala weir	Installation of 3 turbines, each with a capacity pf 13.6 MW for a total capacity of 39.8 MW Rehabilitation of an irrigation channel with a capacity of 5 m³/s
Calueque weir	Installation of turbines for an electricity production capacity of 20 MW Completion of construction works and repairs of damages incurred during the war to the bridge decks, girders, abutments etc. Fitting hydraulics locks, radial gates and emergency gates Fitting irrigation equipment for the northern bank, with 5 pumps, each with a capacity of 6m³/s, and a 1.8m diameter pipe, 7.5 km long Fitting irrigation equipment for the southern bank, with 3 pumps, each with a capacity of 4.5 m³/s , and a 1.6 m diameter pipe, 5.6 km long Clearing of 100 km² of vegetation that is growing within the reservoir area
Gandjelas dam	Installation of a 2 MW hydroelectric plant Expansion of existing irrigated areas

The Rehabilitation and Expansion of Irrigated Areas

The Kunene basin has a large and relatively untapped irrigation potential. In 2005 an estimated 42 000 ha were being irrigated with an annual water demand of around 0.37 km³/a.

With agriculture being the dominant water user in the basin, the total irrigated area within the basin along with their water requirement per hectare are decisive for the future consumptive water use of the Kunene.

Current plans for the expansion of irrigation using water from the Kunene River basin foresee a total irrigated area of over 600 000 ha by 2025. This expansion is planned mainly for the Middle Kunene, where around 595 000 ha are planned (see Irrigation Infrastructure).

These schemes are targeted at small, medium and large commercial farmers and are intended to support commercial crop production and livestock farming. A range of crops are envisaged to be grown and sold in the markets: cereals (wheat, sorghum and millet), horticulture, fruits (moderate climate fruits, tropical fruits, citrus), and beans. The irrigation schemes are expected to contribute to livelihoods primarily by allowing farmers to generate cash incomes from the sale of crops and livestock.

Total Projected Irrigated Areas Drawing Water from the Kunene River in 2025

Province/Region	Location	Area (in hectares)
Huambo (Angola)	Kalima	6 000
Huíla (Angola)	Gandjelas	1 000
	Chimicua I	50
	Chimicua II	60
	Neves	1 300
	Tundavala	830
	Matala	10 000
	Chicungo	400
	Quipungo	200
	Sendi	1 500
Kunene (Angola)	Matunto	92 800
	Quiteve-Humbe	120 000
	Cafu	40 200
	Catembulo	187 000
	Coba do Leao	104 900
	Donguena	20 000
	Calueque	16 000
Kunene (Namibia)	Etunda	1 200
Total		602 440

An expansion of this dimension would result in a dramatic increase in water demand for irrigation requiring over 8 km³/year to be abstracted from the Kunene for use in irrigation. This volume however should be compared to the average annual flow of the Kunene at Ruacana which is on 5 km³/year. The demand for irrigation water stands in direct competition with household consumption and electricity generation in the Lower Kunene.