Angola and DRC presidents inaugurate Ndúe and Calucuve dams

Angolan President João Lourenço and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi inaugurated the Ndúe and Calucuve dams in Angola’s Cunene province on September 5, 2026. These projects are part of the Program to Combat the Effects of Drought in Southern Angola (PCESSA), which aims to improve water security in a region frequently affected by cyclical droughts.

The Ndúe dam has a storage capacity of 170 million cubic meters and includes a 75-kilometer canal, intended to benefit over 55,000 residents and support approximately 60,000 head of cattle and 9,200 hectares of farmland. The Calucuve dam can store 141 million cubic meters of water and features a 240-kilometer canal, expected to serve over 80,000 people and 200,000 head of cattle.

President Lourenço stated that increasing access to water sources is expected to reduce local conflicts between livestock herders. The visit by President Tshisekedi also serves to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Kinshasa and Luanda, specifically regarding water resource management and climate change adaptation.