Accra: Namibia has announced an ambitious plan to increase investment in water and sanitation infrastructure, using domestic financing, concessional loans, grants, and public-private partnerships to ensure universal access to this vital resource.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Agrarian Reform, Inge Zaamwani, emphasized during the African Union Water Investment Program (AU-AIP) summit that the nation is committed to closing the continental water and sanitation investment gap, in line with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Namibia faces severe water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, in an arid yet landscape-rich country, and sees these challenges as an opportunity to drive innovation and sustainable growth, Zaamwani emphasized.
The cabinet approved the allocation of five percent of the national budget-equivalent to 2.8 trillion Namibian dollars (1 Namibian dollar equals KZ 0.019)-to expand drinking water services and improve sanitation facilities, especially in marginalized rural communities.
Furthermore, financing agreements totaling approximately four billion Namibian dollars have been signed with African development banks for large-scale projects such as infrastructure rehabilitation and expanding health coverage in urban and rural areas.
Priority projects include a joint feasibility study with South Africa for the construction of the Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift Dam on the Orange River, with an estimated investment of US$231 million, aimed at ensuring regional water security.
Namibia also plans to develop a coastal desalination plant through a public-private partnership, designed to supply the mining industry and alleviate pressure on groundwater reserves in coastal areas, contributing to climate resilience and economic growth.
Zaamwani emphasized that water security is intrinsically linked to food security, energy security, public health, tourism, and economic competitiveness. Therefore, Namibia's approach aims to integrate water as a key factor for national development and regional integration.
