The water crisis in Namibia requires immediate intervention.
Many communities countrywide have long struggled and continue to struggle to access potable water.
Some communities still have to travel long distances on foot, while those who own one or two donkeys are better off, but that is only until they too give in.
Namibia, the driest country in southern Africa, has an arid environment.
We are a water-scarce nation with unreliable water resources.
Only approximately 2% of precipitation becomes surface run-off, and a mere 1% replenishes groundwater.
The availability of surface water is closely tied to an unpredictable precipitation pattern, leaving the country heavily reliant on groundwater sources to meet its water supply needs.
The central area of Namibia, which plays a pivotal role in the country’s social and economic development, encompasses the capital, Windhoek, which is home to a significant portion of the nation’s population.
VULNERABILITY
Despite being a vital region, the central area faces an inherent annual water shortage because our evaporation rates far exceed our typical annual rainfall.
As a result, extensive inter-basin transfer schemes were devised to channel water into the region, particularly to Windhoek.
These schemes, mostly conceived during the 1970s and 1980s, included major sources like Berg Aukas and Kombat, which supply groundwater to the Eastern National Water Carrier.
The completion of this network between 1998 and 1999 coincided with a bump in Windhoek’s ongoing growth because of a significant rural-urban influx of people.
The region’s vulnerability to water shortages was highlighted by the drought and consequent water deficits experienced from 2015 to 2018.
Namibia’s reliance on groundwater remains paramount, especially in the central area.
For this reason, diligent monitoring of groundwater sources is imperative, necessitating a review of monitoring strategies and programmes.
The central area receives water through the Grootfontein-Omatako Eastern National Water Carrier trench and a three-dam system (surface water).
While groundwater sources play a vital role in supplying the capital, the Karst Region springs contribute to the eastern water carrier.
The Berg Aukas aquifer also significantly supports Windhoek.
MONITORING
As the city continues to grow, it faces escalating water demands.
This further emphasises the need for comprehensive studies to effectively manage this vital resource.
In this respect, groundwater monitoring is a pivotal tool for gathering data.
However, monitoring practices often lack assessments of features such as spatial distribution, temporal frequency, and variables to measure, resulting in unnecessary expenditure.
Groundwater managers require accurate and relevant data to make informed decisions.
Overall, around 80% of Namibia’s population depends on groundwater for drinking, irrigation, agriculture, and industrial use.
Monitoring groundwater involves collecting a range of data, including groundwater levels, water quality, surface elevation, and surface-water discharge conditions.
This will enable us to have a comprehensive understanding of groundwater system changes.
Effective groundwater management is paramount.
- Gideon Kapuka is a researcher, writer, and business consultant; gideonkapuka5@gmail.com
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