Luanda: At least 260 million kwanzas is the budget for the activity plan of the National Water Council (CNA) in 2026, the Minister of Energy and Water, Joo Baptista Borges, reported on Monday in Luanda. The announcement was made following the 1st Ordinary Session of the National Water Council, chaired by the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa. According to Angola Press News Agency, the budget will fund various actions, including support for technical team visits across provinces for multisectoral activities. These visits often involve inspecting irrigated perimeters and drought-fighting projects, such as the Cafu canal and the Ndue and Calucuvo dams, which have associated canals with untapped agricultural potential. Additionally, Angola is set to host the World Water Congress in September, as the African Union has declared 2026 the Year of Water. Minister Borges emphasized the Executive Committee's responsibility to develop a strategy for preserving river sources and water towers, focusing o n vital rivers like Cunene, Cubango, Keve, Longa, and Catumbela. He warned of the risks posed by mining activities near these sources and stressed the need for effective preservation actions, which are part of the CNA's 2026 budget and activity plan. Progress has been made in executing the previous meeting's deliberations, particularly in combating water mining in Luanda, completing the dam inventory project, maintaining a national water resources registry, and implementing a community-led total sanitation program. The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas highlighted a significant groundwater aquifer near the Namibian border, which could aid water access and drought mitigation efforts in southern Angola. Joo Baptista Borges also addressed the road access project for Caxarandanda and challenges in protecting river sources, rehabilitating the Muxima-Caxarandanda road, safeguarding highland water sources, and maintaining irrigation infrastructure. The 2026 activity plan prioritizes consolidating CNA's or ganizational structure, implementing the 2023/2027 action plan, enhancing irrigation operations, and strengthening measures against water mining in Luanda to improve water supply to the population.
