Staff Reporter
THE rivers in the northern parts of the country have seen a slight increase over the past week, while the Orange River in the south recorded a decline during the same period.
This was highlighted in the Hydrological Services of Namibia’s Flood Bulletin, which revealed that both the Zambezi and Kavango Rivers experienced an increase in water levels between last week Thursday, 15 January 2026, and this week Thursday, 22 January 2026.
According to the bulletin, the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo rose from 1.04m to 1.28m during this period. This is also significantly higher than the 0.63m recorded on the same date last year.
The Kavango River at Rundu also saw a rise, increasing from 5.20m on 15 January 2026 to 5.23m on 22 January 2026. However, the river’s level is still lower than it was last year, with the bulletin indicating that the Kavango River stood at 5.46m on 22 January 2025.
Meanwhile, in the south, the Orange River saw a decrease in water levels between 15 January 2026 and 22 January 2026. According to the Hydrological Services of Namibia, the Orange River at Blouputs dropped from 1.46m to 0.76m during this period. Nonetheless, this is still higher than the river’s water level last year, when it stood at 0.39m on 22 January 2025.
At Sendelingsdrift, the Orange River’s level fell from 1.86m on 15 January 2026 to 1.28m on 22 January 2026. However, this is still higher than the 0.39m recorded on the same date last year.
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
