WINDHOEK, Jan. 21– Namibia has completed a multi-year program to expand access to safe drinking water in rural areas by deploying water softening and treatment technologies at borehole sites across several regions, authorities said Tuesday.
In a statement, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, said the four-year program targets high groundwater salinity levels that have long affected water quality in the country’s arid and semi-arid regions.
The initiative, which began as an EIF-led pilot project in 2022 and was expanded nationwide from January 2023, introduced site-specific solutions, including reverse osmosis systems and solar-powered borehole pumps designed to improve water reliability while reducing operating costs, EIF spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.
He added that the initiative implemented a total of 17 borehole sites in two phases. According to Muyunda, more than 1,000 households are already benefiting from improved water quality for domestic use, as well as for small-scale agriculture and livestock in some areas.
Beyond infrastructure development, Muyunda said the program also prioritized sustainability through capacity building, with 69 water point committee members and regional officials trained in the operation and maintenance of reverse osmosis systems, while 127 temporary jobs were created during the construction phase.
EIF said some sites are still awaiting final commissioning due to outstanding connections and equipment replacements by implementing partners, but completion of the planning and design phase provides a foundation for the replication of similar water access interventions nationwide.
The semi-arid country faces persistent water scarcity due to its climatic conditions, and demand for safe water remains high. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
