OvaHimba and OvaTjimba Communities Raise Alarm Over Baynes Hydropower Dam Plans in Kunene Region

More than 600 OvaHimba and OvaTjimba community members gathered in Omuhonga in April 2026 to voice strong concerns over the planned Baynes Hydropower Dam project, saying they were not adequately consulted about a development they fear could reshape their land, water access, and traditional livelihoods along the Kunene River.

The meeting, facilitated by International Rivers, formed part of a site visit to areas earmarked for the proposed cross-border project between Namibia and Angola. Community members also accompanied officials to sites expected to be submerged once the dam’s reservoir is filled, highlighting the potential scale of displacement and environmental change.

The delegation was led by Namibia’s Ombudsman, Advocate Basilius Dyakugha, and included representatives from the Department of Environmental Affairs under the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, as well as the National Heritage Council. The visit followed a formal complaint lodged in April 2024 by Chief Mutaambanda Kapika of the Ombuka-Kapika Traditional Authority and Chief Kapirurua Muhenje of the Tjizapundu Traditional Authority, who raised concerns about exclusion from consultation processes.

The Baynes Hydropower Project is a proposed 840MW dam planned for construction in the Baynes Mountains along the Lower Kunene River. It forms part of a bilateral energy initiative between Namibia and Angola and includes major infrastructure such as the main dam wall, regulating dam, access roads, and transmission lines.

While some support for the project exists within parts of the affected area — including from Chief Hikumine Kapika of the Kapika Traditional Authority — other traditional leaders say consultation has been uneven and limited to a single authority, leaving large sections of affected communities outside decision-making processes.

Gabriel Uemupiana Kapika, chairperson of the Ombuka-Kapika Traditional Authority, said lack of information and engagement has deepened mistrust among affected communities.

“A lack of access to information and insufficient engagement by relevant authorities including the Lower Cunene Hydropower Authority and the Governor of Kunene have contributed to mistrust and uncertainty around the project,” he said.

Other leaders and residents say the concerns go beyond consultation, pointing to potential long-term impacts on water availability and grazing land.

“As a community, we are very concerned about downstream impacts of the dam, including reduced access to water for ourselves and for our livestock. Even communities as far as the Marienfluss area are also likely to be significantly affected,” said Mutjimbika Mutambo, senior councillor from the Ombuka-Kapika Traditional Authority.

Community members who attended the engagement stressed the need for broader, transparent, and inclusive consultation processes that involve all affected Traditional Authorities and communities before any final decisions are taken.

The Ombudsman’s visit is expected to inform further engagement between government institutions and affected communities as discussions around the Baynes Hydropower Project continue.

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