The Namibian government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) will co-finance water projects of NamWater to the amount of N.dollars 1.2 billion to ensure that the water utility fulfils its mandate at the national level with long term plans.
This was announced on Thursday by Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Minister Calle Schlettwein during a virtual Namwater stakeholder engagement strategy workshop.
He said some of the planned water projects are in the northern regions and they are amounting to N.dollars 643.3 million, and the refurbishing of West Coast Infrastructure to an amount of N.dollars 266.9 million and the Windhoek Reclamation Works in cooperation with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau bank at N.dollars 120 million.
‘Government has also taken further steps with developing desalination capacity, to ensure water security for the nation. Over the years, through the Cabinet Committee on Water Supply Security and Technical Committee of Experts, the focus has been driven towards the identification and development of key water sources and infrastructure as outlined in the national development plans and Harambee Prosperity Plans I and II,’ said Schlettwein.
He added that this is done in order to meet Vision 2030 objectives in the water sector, which aspire to ensure that Namibia becomes a competitive and industrialised nation, with living standards no less than those of industrialised and developed countries. Because as the implementing arm of the Governments’ developmental agenda, NamWater exists to ensure the availability of bulk water supply as a key utility in the national sustainable development agenda.
‘This can only be done if the Corporation consistently develops long term strategic plans that are optimal and effectively implemented. We live in an era where the global Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a lot of uncertainties and changed our ways of doing things. This means that we have to increase our level of agility, adaptability and ensure that we take all scenarios into account,’ stated Schlettwein.
He further added that the nation is faced with high levels of unemployment, significantly reduced fiscal space, increased urbanisation, scarce skills, climate change, increased demand for water provision, water pollution and global economic factors that add pressure on the government.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
