Communities Leading Sustainable Development in the Cubango/Okavango River Basin in Angola

Towns and villages within the Cubango/Okavango Basin in Angola are developing quickly, but is this sustainable? The concept of sustainable development involves using natural resources in a way that promotes social, economic and cultural development for present and future generations. 

For the communities in the Cubango/Okavango River Basin, sustainable development that tangibly improves their lives is essential. If their current needs and perspectives are ignored, it is in vain to talk about managing and conserving resources for the future. 

Charting a path towards sustainable development therefore requires local decision making based on an understanding of the consequences of environmentally damaging practices and overexploitation of natural resources. When rules about using the environment are understood and accepted by the whole community, they are far more likely to be implemented. 

Until now, the growth of towns and villages in the Basin has been largely unplanned, making solid waste management an increasing problem. Growing volumes of plastic and other waste materials are entering the rivers, damaging an ecosystem that provides food and income for many families. Beyond urban areas, the traditional farming practice of burning the land in preparation for planting causes air pollution, contributes to climate change, and reduces soil fertility.

Raising awareness among local communities

The first step towards sustainable development is to generate a common understanding of the problems and to discuss possible solutions with the affected communities. The Association for the Conservation and Management of the Environment and Wildlife (ACGAVS) therefore partnered with the Provincial Environment Office, the Environment Department of the Halo Trust Angola, and Mosaico on the Usaki Somos Ambiente (“we are the environment”) Project. This collaborative project works with communities living in towns and villages on or near the Cuebe, Luahuka, Cuelei, Cuchi and Cubango rivers. 

The ACGAVS aims to maintain and improve the quality of life for humans and animals by protecting the environment through local education. Together with our local and national partners, we carried out a series of awareness-raising activities, campaigns and talks to mobilise these communities for sustainable development.

The community meetings took place in Menongue, Missombo, Caiundo, Cuchi, Cuelei, Mucumbila and Cambungo, attracting 593 people (397 women), including 97 final-year science students. The participants were invited to define the term “sustainable” and to explore the relationship between economic growth and long-term sustainability. They envisioned what sustainable development would look like for all communities living in the Cubango Basin and how they could all play a role in achieving it.

Discussions around current environmental problems focused on the harms caused by poor solid waste management in towns and frequent burning in the farmlands. Participants learned that poor solid waste management in large towns like Menongue cause pollution in the Cuebe and Luahuka rivers. This could reduce fish stocks in the rivers and lead to unsafe drinking water. Farmers attending these events learnt how burning contributes to climate change globally, while reducing soil productivity locally. 

King Kanganji of the Cuchi Region said, “involving everyone is undoubtedly the best way of doing things. When we talk about the environment, we are also guaranteeing human rights at the community level.” 

We welcomed the many women attending these events, as they play key roles in household waste management and farming, while they also suffer the most from climate change. Dona Marcela Nhama, a resident of Bairro Mucumbila, expressed her satisfaction with the meeting: “I was happy to see government, traditional authorities and civil society organisations joining together in this initiative. New projects in our area run by these organisations have improved the lives of our communities and the health of our rivers.” 

Progress and challenges to sustainable development

Today there is more efficient waste management in our target towns and villages. In Menongue, residents of the Padeira, Cunha, Castilhos, Novo and Paz neighbourhoods participated in waste collection campaigns. The municipality of Cuchi won the cleanest village award in 2024, which is a testament to the committed municipal administration and local students who raised awareness through door-to-door visits. 

We have also seen fewer fires in the farming communities we visited since the awareness raising events. In future, we will focus on Conservation Agriculture as a holistic model for improving land productivity and reducing environmentally damaging farming practices.

Sustainable development for the long-term benefit of everyone often comes at the expense of short-term profits. Unsustainable businesses may even be supported by policies that emphasise economic growth rather than sustainable economic development. Countering these conflicts of interest requires a supportive policy environment that empowers communities to cooperatively manage their natural resources, while preventing overexploitation and environmental damage.  

Creating the conditions for sustainable development therefore requires all stakeholders to work together, with the communities at the heart of a wider partnership. Our project took this collaborative approach, whereby a broad range of state and non-state actors gave community members a chance to speak their minds and make suggestions about the way forward. Our continued success will be through creating and supporting community-based organisations that can mobilise their members to work together for sustainable development.

Conclusion

Local communities are part of the solution to environmental problems, because their lives depend on how natural resources are managed. They can only implement their local rules and decisions if they have strong rights over their resources that are recognised by government and supported by non-government actors. 

In other Angolan provinces, community-based organisations that have rights to manage and use their resources sustainably have made strides towards a better future. We are helping communities in the Cubango Basin to follow this example by establishing their own organisations. By working together, communities can face adversity and make wise – although sometimes difficult – decisions that value long-term sustainability over short-term gain.

By Eduardo Ferreira

Associsção de Conservação Gestão do Ambiente e Vida Selvagem (ACGAVS)