The government has put in place plans to solve the country’s perennial water crisis and ensure consistent supply.
The development according to Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Minister Calle Schlettwein, will see the country having sufficient and interrupted water supply at least beyond 2037.
“Government has commenced 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,” said Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Minister Calle Schlettwein.
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 of the calque canal in the north, as well as the settlement of a treatment, desalination and purification plant in Swakop. Fortunately, all feasibility studies are done and it’s now time to award the project and begin with ground works,” said Schlettwein.
At the moment, he said about N$4.8 billion has been used towards restoration and expansion of water provision.
“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. Another added advantage is the recent procurement of the two drilling machines, which have made the work that the ministry paid for exorbitant prices affordable,” he stressed.
Schlettwein took a swipe at town or municipal councils, especially City of Windhoek, that he said have failed to maintain the sewerage system that is now polluting underground water and dams.
“Look at what is happening to Goreangab Dam, filled with sewage that is now spilling into catchment dams supposed to be supplying drinking water for human consumption, this is a total failure. Same goes with other towns, sewerage ponds are overflowing, a situation that is not good,” he fumed
Namibia is experiencing an acute water crisis due to years of drought, while the country’s water infrastructure is old, vandalised, and in some areas, there is no potable water, leaving residents to consume from traditional open wells or swamps.
