By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Hundreds of villagers in the Kavango are bracing themselves for possible floods this year. Fears of flooding in the Kavango Region has prompted an urgent call for villagers to move to higher ground for their own safety. The Kavango River has already burst its banks due to the heavy rains in neighbouring Angola, where the river has its source. Issuing this urgent call on the national broadcaster recently, Chief Regional Officer of the Kavango Region, Sebastian Kantema, cautioned residents that flooding is likely and that urgent precautionary measures must be taken promptly. Indications are that the water levels of the Kavango River are rising steadily every day. On average the water level is rising by two meters a day. Currently, it stands at 6,57 meters compared to 4,25 meters at the same time last year. It is further reported that most of the floodplains are already under water, while some villagers have not yet moved away from the area. In light of this, the Kavango Regional Emergency Management Unit has started putting mechanisms in place to prepare for possible floods this year. During a recent interview, Kantema said it is very important that people be alert and at the same time take the necessary precautions now to be able to respond to any flood eventualities more effectively. “We should not and cannot wait for government to evacuate us and our cattle. We have the tendency of waiting but the time has come for us to be proactive,” said Kantema, adding that it is vital for people to move to higher ground sooner rather than later. He also urged village and constituency development committees to start taking the necessary precautions now in their respective areas. On its part, the Kavango Regional Emergency Management Unit plans to convene an emergency stakeholders’ meeting soon in order to thoroughly assess the situation and render assistance to any flood victims. Meanwhile, weather figures from the Windhoek Met Office show a 20 percent chance of rain in the north and north-eastern parts of the country. However, weather forecaster Victor Kaurimuje of the Windhoek Met Office informed New Era that this percentage of rain is somehow insignificant. Yet it appears that so far both the Kavango and Caprivi regions have received the major part of the showers during the rainy season so far. This may further lead to more rising floodwaters for the residents of the Kavango Region’s flood-prone areas. During last year’s wet spell, the highest rainfall of 32,3 mm was recorded at Katima Mulilo on December 26, while Nkurenkuru in the Kavango received 25,3 mm. Kantema warned those people residing in the floodplains to be careful because of the threat of crocodile attacks, as well as mosquito and snake bites that generally come with the floodwaters. Last month, eight people were killed by crocodiles and hippos in the space of three months in the Caprivi and Kavango. Since last October, communities in the two regions have lost six lives to crocodiles and two to hippos in the Chobe, Zambezi and Kavango rivers. All the crocodile attacks were on children who were swimming or bathing in the rivers, while the two who lost their lives to crocodiles were fishing. The last floods in the Kavango occurred in 2003 when large tracts of cultivation land were ruined by floodwaters.