Water investment conference coming

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry will host the first Namibian water investment conference in September to bring together water consumers, service providers and manufacturers of equipment and chemicals used in the water sector.
Investors and financiers to promote investment opportunities in the sector will also be part of the event.

Making the announcement yesterday, Minister John Mutorwa said water supply and water security in an arid country such as Namibia are crucial. To efficiently and effectively manage the country’s water resources, a national integrated resource management plan was developed. This, said Mutorwa, should contribute to social equity, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability.’However, for this plan to be fully implemented and attain its defined goal, investment is required,’ Mutorwa said. Private investment in the water sector is virtually non-existent, which has affected the development of appropriate technology.Mutorwa said this has meant that the country has to import all equipment, plants, machinery parts and spares at very high cost, resulting in critically costly water management.It is hoped that the conference will pull together all stakeholders to address the demand and pressure on the country’s water resources and sanitation facilities. About 60 per cent of the country’s water comes from groundwater in aquifers. The only perennial rivers, supplying about 20 per cent, are along the northern and southern borders and are shared with neighbouring states.In the south, Namibia shares the Orange River with South Africa, Lesotho, and Botswana. The Kunene River in the north is shared between Namibia and Angola. The Kavango is shared among Angola, Namibia, and Botswana. The Zambezi is shared among Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Hence, international agreements on the use and management of these perennial rivers are needed. Moreover, these rivers are far from urban areas where the demand for water is highest. This means that Namibia relies heavily on runoff generated in the internal river basins, which provide 20 per cent of the national water supply. The ministry said the effects of climate change are adversely affecting Namibia’s water resources, as has become evident with the devastating and recurring floods in the north. The ministry has started to investigate on how best to harvest the floodwater.