Namibian Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry will be investing N$7,6 million into a pre-feasibility study that was launched yesterday for the long-term water solution for the central area of Namibia and the Cuvelai areas.
The investment comes after the ministry, Namwater and the City of Windhoek discovered that the water supply in the central regions of Namibia and in the Cuvelai will, in the long-term, not be adequate for the rapid population growth and economic activities.
In response to the looming water shortage, the ministry has commissioned the pre-feasibility study to be undertaken by an engineering consortium, Lund Consulting Engineers CC and Seelenbinder Consulting Engineers CC, incorporating other companies and an independent environmental and social consortium. The ministry said the pre-feasibility study, which is expected to be completed next year, is to investigate all alternative water sources which can be developed to secure a long-term, affordable water solution for the central area of Namibia as well as parts of the Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Regions and Cuvelai up to 2050.
Agriculture minister John Mutorwa stated that recent modeling predicts shortfalls in water supply by 2020, but that the predicted water deficit might be experienced earlier than expected if Namibia continues to experience poor rainy seasons.
“Two consecutive poor rainy seasons could cause serious disruption and shortfalls in the water supply. It has also been acknowledged that in Windhoek and other areas in the central Namibia, water demand is suppressed by the limited availability of supply. Therefore, a study to augment the limited supply of water is necessary and must be conducted as a matter of urgency,” he said.He explained that, because Namibia’s perennial rivers are located on the northern and southern borders with approximately 1500 km of drylands in-between, it makes the provision of water expensive for the country’s capital, which is situated far from the rivers. He said the situation is exacerbated by the growing human population and expanding economic activities. “Namibia spends by far the highest percentage of its GDP on water provision of all Sub-Saharan countries. Per capita, Namibia spends more than eight times more on water supply and sanitation than other countries in the region,” he said.
Mutorwa argued that because the nearby water sources have been developed to their maximum or near maximum potential, the country has no other alternative but to develop sources further away.
The Director of Water and Resource Management in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Harald Koch, said from the N$7,6 million about N$4,9 million will be spent on engineering, while N$2,8 million is for the environmental and social component study.
Koch also said research is still ongoing on the ground water that was discovered at Eenhana in 2012 that hydrologists believe might provide a secure and sustainable water supply to about 40% of the Namibian population for 400 years.
“We are doing a study for the next three years to determine the sustainability yield of the aquifer,” said Koch. He said that the German government will inject N$30 million into this project.
Mutorwa said he had received feedback on the latest findings of the groundwater project at Eenhana,which he brought before Cabinet last year.
The investment comes after the ministry, Namwater and the City of Windhoek discovered that the water supply in the central regions of Namibia and in the Cuvelai will, in the long-term, not be adequate for the rapid population growth and economic activities.
In response to the looming water shortage, the ministry has commissioned the pre-feasibility study to be undertaken by an engineering consortium, Lund Consulting Engineers CC and Seelenbinder Consulting Engineers CC, incorporating other companies and an independent environmental and social consortium. The ministry said the pre-feasibility study, which is expected to be completed next year, is to investigate all alternative water sources which can be developed to secure a long-term, affordable water solution for the central area of Namibia as well as parts of the Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Regions and Cuvelai up to 2050.
Agriculture minister John Mutorwa stated that recent modeling predicts shortfalls in water supply by 2020, but that the predicted water deficit might be experienced earlier than expected if Namibia continues to experience poor rainy seasons.
“Two consecutive poor rainy seasons could cause serious disruption and shortfalls in the water supply. It has also been acknowledged that in Windhoek and other areas in the central Namibia, water demand is suppressed by the limited availability of supply. Therefore, a study to augment the limited supply of water is necessary and must be conducted as a matter of urgency,” he said.He explained that, because Namibia’s perennial rivers are located on the northern and southern borders with approximately 1500 km of drylands in-between, it makes the provision of water expensive for the country’s capital, which is situated far from the rivers. He said the situation is exacerbated by the growing human population and expanding economic activities. “Namibia spends by far the highest percentage of its GDP on water provision of all Sub-Saharan countries. Per capita, Namibia spends more than eight times more on water supply and sanitation than other countries in the region,” he said.
Mutorwa argued that because the nearby water sources have been developed to their maximum or near maximum potential, the country has no other alternative but to develop sources further away.
The Director of Water and Resource Management in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Harald Koch, said from the N$7,6 million about N$4,9 million will be spent on engineering, while N$2,8 million is for the environmental and social component study.
Koch also said research is still ongoing on the ground water that was discovered at Eenhana in 2012 that hydrologists believe might provide a secure and sustainable water supply to about 40% of the Namibian population for 400 years.
“We are doing a study for the next three years to determine the sustainability yield of the aquifer,” said Koch. He said that the German government will inject N$30 million into this project.
Mutorwa said he had received feedback on the latest findings of the groundwater project at Eenhana,which he brought before Cabinet last year.
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