Namibia receives N.dollars 8 million from France for groundwater management

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The French government through the Agence Fran?aise de Développement (AFD) has availed funding for technical cooperation on a groundwater management and combating drought project in Namibia to the tune of Euros 450 000 (about N.dollars 7.4 million).

An additional Euros 50 000 (about N.dollars 830 000) contribution was made towards the project by the French Geological Survey (BRGM) bringing the total sum of the grant to over N.dollars 8 million.

A memorandum of understanding between the BRGM, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) was signed in this regard here on Friday.

The technical cooperation is a two-year project and it aims to increase access to knowledge and strengthen the capacity of the Namibian government in water management and drought control.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, France Ambassador to Namibia, Sébastien Minot said this scientific and technical cooperation is a follow up to a working relationship started between BRGM and the agriculture ministry in 2018 through the European funding and it falls within the Namibian partnership plan, adding that it will contribute to the implementation of nationally determined contributions submitted at the Paris Agreement.

The project will consist of three main tasks including the delivery of a comprehensive training programme on hydrogeology, the assessment of climate change impact on aquifer recharge in the Omusati and Kunene regions, both hard hit by drought, and elaboration of a planning map of groundwater abstraction in these regions.

Minot said BRGM will support the teams from the two ministries in all three main tasks.

“France is fully committed to supporting Namibia and including expertise in this field,” he said.

MEFT Executive Director, Teofilus Nghitila at the event expressed gratitude towards the French government saying the project comes at an opportune time especially for the two regions which he said were recently hit by drought.

“Water is a precious resource in Namibia and it’s the main development challenge whether it’s when it comes to the country’s pursuance of economic development, we are constrained by water availability in this country and this indicates the significance of this project,” said Nghitila.

He said MEFT will ensure full implementation of the project saying, and as the focal point for climate change will continue to mobilise additional resources and collaborate with their partners.

Source: Namibia Press Agency