Menongue — Angolan Environment Minister Ana Paula de Carvalho stated on Tuesday in Menongue that Cubango province holds a unique place in the country's environmental landscape due to its vast territory and diverse ecosystems.

Ana Paula de Carvalho, who is in Menongue for a working visit, said that this region is one of the greatest ecological assets of the country and the entire Southern African region, owing to its abundant water resources.

"We are looking at a region where nature continues to reveal its grandeur through Miombo forests, the Zambezian floodplains, *Baikiaea* forests, and the immense network formed by the Cuebe, Cuito, and other rivers--systems that sustain life, agriculture, artisanal fishing, and the survival of local communities," she highlighted.

The minister stated that the Cubango River, in particular, is one of the African continent's key water systems; it feeds the Okavango Basin and creates a link between Angola, Namibia, and Botswana.

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She affirmed that conserving its headwaters and ecosystem means protecting millions of people who depend--directly or indirectly--on its natural resources.

She noted that Cubango's development requires managing solid waste, environmental sanitation, urban growth, and economic revitalization, adding that the increase in productive activities poses new challenges for municipal administrations and sanitation agencies.

For his part, the Governor of Cubango Province, José Martins, acknowledged that the sustainability of natural resources is a cornerstone of social and economic development.

He emphasized that Cubango Province--with its vast forests, rivers, conservation areas, diverse flora and fauna, and its integration into the Okavango Basin landscape--holds strategic importance for the country and the entire Southern African region.

Coinciding with this visit, a workshop is underway to assess progress made and identify key challenges in order to enhance the effectiveness of public policies in the environmental sector.

The agenda includes environmental impact assessment and licensing in the mining sector, strategies for community-led total sanitation, and environmental education guidelines for schools to foster community engagement.