N$24m floating bridges to keep flood-hit communities

The Ministry of Works and Transport has bought 24 640 plastic ‘double cubes’, that can be converted into floating bridges, at a cost of N$24 million to mitigate the impact of floods in some of the country’s regions.

Annual floods in the Oshana, Kavango East and Zambezi regions impair residents’ movement, since roads, villages, clinics, and schools, among others, become inaccessible.

Residents therefore mostly rely on unsafe traditional canoes to move around.

Executive director of works and transport Jonas Sheelongo yesterday told The Namibian the ‘cubes’ can be assembled into either 28 floating bridges of 200m each, or 56 of 100m each.

“The distribution of these floating bridges will depend on operational needs, such as the level of urgency, the extent of flooding, and each region’s need to maintain access to critical services such as healthcare and education.

“Therefore, assessments will be conducted by regional authorities to guide the distribution,” he said.

Sheelongo said the floating bridges would provide temporary, rapid-response access to communities that are currently isolated during seasonal flooding.

“They are designed to ensure continuity of essential services, particularly access to health facilities, schools, and other critical infrastructure, while avoiding the high costs and limitations associated with permanent structures in areas where flooding patterns are unpredictable,” he said.

Sheelongo said the government is committed to providing a proactive disaster response and resilience as flooding patterns vary from year to year and location to location.

The modular floating bridges offer a flexible, cost-effective solution that can be deployed where and when they are most needed, he said.

“This approach ensures the efficient use of resources while prioritising the safety and well-being of the affected communities,” he said.

In the Zambezi region, the floods have now reached almost 7m, with the Kabbe South and Kabbe North constituencies now severely affected by floods.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah last week visited the Zambezi region, where several families have been displaced.

She urged residents to relocate before a crisis hits them.

Three schools – Muzii Combined School, Nankuntwe Combined School, and Mpukano Primary School – have had to close and are set to be relocated to higher grounds.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.