Living With Freshwater Scarcity: Management of Namibia’s Water Resources
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33038/jcegi.4848Keywords:
Namibia, water resources management, freshwater deficit, NamWater, legal frameworkAbstract
Namibia is an arid country in Southern Africa. It frequently experiences a state of freshwater deficit and must employ a range of measures to manage this scarce resource sustainably and equitably. The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform coordinates the water sector. A state-owned enterprise, NamWater, is the bulk water supplier and manages large water infrastructure. The country follows a policy of integrated water resource management and has devolved some of the decision-making on water issues to river basin level. Transboundary catchments are managed through legal agreements and multinational permanent commissions representing the basin states. Technologies such as dams in ephemeral rivers, intra- and inter-basin water transfer schemes, reclamation of wastewater to potable standards, artificial aquifer recharge, desalination, and conjunctive use of various water sources are employed to supply water to consumers. Water demand management, particularly education, information, restrictions and tariffs, curbs wasteful use of water.
References
ATLAS OF NAMIBIA TEAM (2022). Atlas of Namibia: its land, water and life. Namibia Nature Foundation. Windhoek. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://atlasofnamibia.online/.
COW (2022). Five years of ensuring Windhoek’s drinking water through managed aquifer recharging. Media release by the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, City of Windhoek. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://economist.com.na/69420/extra/five-years-of-ensuring-windhoeks-drinking-water-through-manage-aquifer-recharging/.
CUVEWATERS (2023). Groundwater Desalination. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: http://www.cuvewaters.net/Groundwater-Desalination.77.0.html.
HENSCHEL, J. R., SITEKETA, V., BERKOWICZ, S. M., BEYSENS, D., MILIMOUK-MELNYTCHOUK, I., MUSELLI, M., HEUSINKVELD, B. G., JACOBS, A. F. G. (2007). Dew occurrence and collection in Gobabeb, Central Namib Desert. Proc. 4th International Conference on Fog, Fog, Collection and Dew, 22–27 July 2007, La Serena, Chile. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: http://the-eis.com/elibrary/sites/default/files/downloads/literature/Dew%20occurrence%20and%20collection%20in%20Gobabeb_ Central%20Namib%20Desert_2007.pdf.
HEYMANS, C., EALES, K., FRANCEYS, R. (2014). Prepaid Water in Windhoek: Case Study, in: The Limits and Possibilities of Prepaid Water in Urban Africa: Lessons from the Field. Water and Sanitation Program, The World Bank Group, pp. 62.
HEYNS, P., MONTGOMERY, S., PALLETT, J., SEELY, M. (1998). Namibia’s water, A decision makers’ guide. Department of Water affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Windhoek, pp. 173.
IIPUTA, G. I., NIKODEMUS, K., MENGE, J. (2008). Strategic drinking water quality monitoring for drinking water safety in Windhoek. Water Institute of South Africa. Available online: 04.08.2023. https://www.wisa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/WISA2008-P041.pdf
IWRMP JOINT VENTURE NAMIBIA (2010a). Integrated water resources management plan for Namibia. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Windhoek, Namibia.
IWRMP JOINT VENTURE NAMIBIA (2010b). Development of an integrated water resources management plan for Namibia. Theme Report 1. Review and assessment of existing situation. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Windhoek, Namibia.
IWRMP JOINT VENTURE NAMIBIA. (2010c). Development of an integrated water resources management plan for Namibia. Theme Report 2. The assessment of resources potential and development needs. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Windhoek, Namibia.
IWRMP JOINT VENTURE NAMIBIA. (2010d). Development of an integrated water resources management plan for Namibia. Theme Report 3. Formulation of water demand management strategy. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Windhoek, Namibia.
IWRMP JOINT VENTURE NAMIBIA. (2010e). Development of an integrated water resources management plan for Namibia. Theme Report 8. National water development strategy and action plan. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Windhoek, Namibia.
LAHNSTEINER, J., VAN RENSBURG, P., ESTERHUIZEN, J. (2018). Direct potable reuse – A feasible water management option. Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination, 8: 14–28. https://doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2017.172.
MAKUTI, O., HENSCHEL, J. R., KOLB, H., MTULENI, V. P., SITEKETA, V., SHANYENGANA, E. S. (2004). Testing Fog Collectors in the Namib Desert. Proc. 3rd International Conference on Fog & Dew, Cape Town, South Africa. Available omline: 04.08.2023. Source: http://the-eis.com/elibrary/sites/default/files/downloads/literature/Testing%20fog%20collectors%20in%20the%20Namib%20Desert_1998.pdf.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WATER AND LAND REFORM (2022). Call for expression of interest – Consultancy services for the review and update of the National Integrated Water Resources Management Plan and Development of the National Water Master Plan for the Namibia Water Sector Support Program. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform. Windhoek. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://www.afdb.org/pt/documents/eoi-namibia-review-and-update-national-integrated-water-resources-management-plan-and-development-national-water-master-plan-namibia-water-sector-support-program-nwssp.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (1988). Guidelines for the evaluation of drinking-water quality for human consumption with regard to chemical, physical and bacteriological quality. Department of Water Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development. Windhoek, Namibia. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://www.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/824-NA88-11364.pdf.
NAGEL, J. F. (1959). Fog precipitation at Swakopmund. Weather Bureau Newsletter, 125:1–9.
NAGEL, J. F. (1962). Fog precipitation measured on Africa’s southwest coast. NOTOS, 11:51–60.
NAMWATER (2023). NamWater website. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: http://www.namwater.com.na.
NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY (2016). Namibia Household and Income Survey. National Statistics Agency, National Planning Commission, Government of the Republic of Namibia. Windhoek. pp. 25.
NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY (2019). Sustainable development goals baseline report Namibia 2019. National Statistics Agency, National Planning Commission, Government of the Republic of Namibia. Windhoek. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SDG_Baseline_Report_2019.pdf.
OLIVIER, J. (2004). Fog Harvesting: An alternative source of water supply on the West Coast of South Africa. GeoJournal, 61: 203–214.
REMMERT, D. (2016). Water governance in Namibia: a tale of delayed implementation, policy shortfalls, and miscommunication. Special Briefing Report No.13, Democracy Report, Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Windhoek. pp. 20. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29746.43209.
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA (1990). The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, Act No. 1 of 1990. Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia No. 2, 21 March 1990.
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA (2007). Environmental Management Act, No. 7 of 2007. Government Notice No. 232, Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia No. 3966, 27 December 2007.
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA (2012). Regulations of the Environmental Management Act, No. 7 of 2007. Government Notices No. 28: Commencement of the Environmental Management Act, 2007; No. 29: List of activities that may not be undertaken without Environmental Clearance Certificate; No. 30 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia No. 4847, 6 February 2012.
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA (2013). Water Resources Management Act, No. 11 of 2013. Government Notice No. 332, Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia No.5367, 19 December 2013.
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA (2022). Municipality of Windhoek tariffs: 2022/2023. General Note No. 322, Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia No. 7843, 1 July 2022.
SEELY, M. K., HENSCHEL, J. R. (1998). The climatology of Namib fog. Proc. Conference on Fog and Fog Collection, 19–24 July 1998. Vancouver, Canada. available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289525691_The_climatology_of_Namib_fog.
SHANYENGANA, E. S., HENSCHEL, J. R., MTULENI, V. S., MWENYA, E., SEELY, M. K. (2001). Exploring fog as a supplementary water source in Namibia. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on Fog and Fog Collection. St John’s, Canada. available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://fogquest.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Conf_2001_Shanyengana_Fog_as_supplementary_water_source.pdf
SHANYENGANA, E. S., HENSCHEL, J. R., SEELY, M. K., SANDERSON, R. D. (2002). Exploring fog as a supplementary water source in Namibia. Atmospheric Research, 64: 251–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-8095(02)00096-0.
SHIWEDA, A. N. (2022). Speech by Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, National Workshop Related to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes: Namibia’s Accession Process, 31 May – 1 June 2022. Windhoek, Namibia. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://unece.org/environmental-policy/events/national-workshop-related-convention-protection-and-use-transboundary-2.
VAN DER MERWE, B. (1999). Water demand management country study – Namibia. IUCN. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: http://the-eis.com/elibrary/sites/default/files/downloads/literature/WATER%20DEMAND%20MANAGEMENT_Report%20to%20IUCN.pdf.
WINDHOEK CONSULTING ENGINEERS (2000). Analysis of present and future water demand in Namibia. Windhoek Consulting Engineers. Windhoek.
WINGOC (2023). WinGOC website. Available online: 04.08.2023. Source: https://www.wingoc.com.na/.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Central European Green Innovation
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
