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The Namibian government has come up with constructive plans to solve the country’s perennial water crisis and ensure a consistent water supply. This initiative will kick start with the implementation of the National Water Sector Support Programme that’s jointly funded to the tune of about N$10 billion over the next five years.
The Namibian government has come up with constructive plans to solve the country’s perennial water crisis and ensure a consistent supply. This initiative will start with the implementation of the National Water Sector Support Programme that’s jointly funded to the tune of about N$10 billion over the next five years comprising water purification plants, desalination of sea and underground water, development of aquifer well-fields and water distribution infrastructure outlay.
Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Minister Calle Schlettwein stated that with the implementation of this project, the country will have a sufficient and uninterrupted water supply for at least beyond 2037.In December 2022, the government together with the national water utility, Namwater, signed a loan agreement with the German Development Bank (KfW) to kick-start water restoration in the country. At least N$746 million (€40 million) of the concessional loan will be channelled towards securing Water Supply for the Central Area of Namibia through the construction of a second Direct Potable Reclamation Plant (DPR II). At the same time, a second concessional loan to the value of N$932 million (€50 million) was signed to support the Namibian Water Sector Support Programme (WSSP) to assist Namibia in the rehabilitation and upgrading of its extensive bulk water infrastructure.
Work will start on upgrading the calque canal in the north, as well as the settlement of a treatment, desalination and purification plant in Swakop. All feasibility studies are done and are ready to begin with the groundworks and award the project, said the minister. At the moment, he said about N$4.8 billion has been used towards the restoration and expansion of water provision, almost 57 constituencies which were severely affected, and without water now have access to potable water. This came as a result of drilling new boreholes and rehabilitating the existing ones.
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Namibia is experiencing an acute water crisis due to years of drought, while the country’s water infrastructure is old, and vandalised. In some areas, there is no potable water, leaving residents to consume from traditional open wells or swamps.
