Massive investment in water needed

NAMIBIA requires an estimated N$3,7 billion over the coming five years in the replacement, upgrading and expansion of its water supply infrastructure if it is to meet the growing demand caused by increasing population and industry needs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry said yesterday.

According to the ministry, which is to host Namibia’s first water investment conference in September, the major demand for water resources are either at urban centres or for farming in the communal and commercial farming areas, most of which are located in remote areas which are far from sustainable water sources. This requires the country’s national water utility, NamWater, to construct infrastructure and lay pipelines in order to transport water over long distances to where the people are settled.NamWater states that it costs more than N$100 million to construct a dam as large as the Von Bach dam near Okahandja, while it costs more than N$3 million to lay a 500mm bulk water pipeline of just one kilometre. In a statement the Ministry said the costs associated with the treatment of water to drinkable standards is high, with the main chemicals to be used in all the 16 purification plants across the country having to be imported. In 2004, these costs were at around 27 cents per cubic metre. Taking into consideration that NamWater purified about 11,2 million cubic metres of water in the Cuvelai and Kunene areas alone during 2004, the total costs of the northern region alone was N$51 million. The undersecretary for Water Affairs and Forestry, Abraham Nehemia, said the investment pattern in the Namibian water sector is skewed since it falls heavily on the government’s side.’Therefore there is room for private sector intervention in the area of services and trade which will lead to the creation of jobs, local manufacturing of equipment and spares. This goes hand in hand with the reduction of costs involved in importing,’ he said.Nehemia said trade in the water sector is currently dominated by a few established companies specialising in the provision of water supply and treatment technologies and material. ‘Most of these companies get their materials from outside Namibia and there is a need to promote local suppliers, materials and products. The forthcoming water investment conference will create this platform for upcoming entrepreneurs in the water sector to introduce and market their services through exhibitions and presentations,’ Nehemia said.One of the themes to be discussed during the conference will be ‘Investment in water supply and sanitation infrastructure and technology development’. The conference 2012 will be hosted from September 12 to 14 in Windhoek and more than 300 delegates from across the globe are expected to attend.