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Transkei region threatened by DAMS 18 years 1 month ago #14266

AdrianTregoning
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Hi Ladies and Gents,

I was reading the Farmers Weekly about 2 weeks ago (yes, ok, I read Farmers Weekly almost every week) and I came across a very disturbing article. The government wants to build about 5 HUGE dams in the former Transkei region in South Africa. They want to irrigate the whole damn place, plant forests, factories, build dams to stuff up the amazing rivers there and also introduce Nguni cattle back into the area. Bad news for South African paddlers! :arghhh:

A very big, R28 Billion project!

www.ecdc.co.za/media/article.asp?pageid=1026

There is also a possiblity that they will build a dam at the Tsitsa Falls! Check out the picture below from Fluid's website where they recently did a First descent. It's criminal. Such a beautiful and undeveloped area will be taken to the cleaners in the coming years.

Here's the link to that article in case you missed it.

www.fluidkayaks.co.za/Junction_060529.htm

Any comments? Thoughts? :ask:

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Re:Transkei region threatened by DAMS 17 years 8 months ago #17439

AdrianTregoning
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More updates on the Umzimvubu River - South Africa's largest undammed river:

www.southafrica.info/doing_business/inve...s/asgi-ec-250507.htm

It seems the original 28 billion is now already at 60 billion! They are taking the last great places and just messing them up. With food shortages being a reality in SA they are going to push agriculture more and more and these dams are an important link in the whole system. What a pity though.

Also new dam on the Letaba River:

allafrica.com/stories/200708070651.html

What a shame. I wonder how many rapids we'll loose up there...

Here's another good link and also some news on Uganda:

www.irn.org/programs/safrica/index.php?i...1eskomfactsheet.html

Over and out for now :sleep:

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Re:Transkei region threatened by DAMS 17 years 5 months ago #19439

Waynarky
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man, that makes me bleak. The Kei is one of the most awesome, untouched places in South Africa and they want to destroy it.

A couple months back I went on a trip there where we rode the hills, did some wakeboarding and some paddling up the estuaries(Umtento side) I was constantly amazed by the beauty of the place and the thing that made it so special, almost mystical, was that humans hadn't messed it up.

I can't imagine how much of the delicate wildlife will be wiped out with this project of theirs!

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