WINDHOEK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has started work on the extension of the Oshakati Water Purification Plant, a key infrastructure project to be constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., as the country tackles water supply challenges in the north.
The project, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform and implemented by Namibia's water utility NamWater, is part of the Namibia Water Sector Support Program, supported through a loan from the African Development Bank.
Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, Inge Zaamwani, minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, said Namibia faces acute water shortages due to low rainfall, high evaporation rates, and climate change.
"Our water infrastructure must evolve or risk collapsing," she said, citing the country's average annual rainfall of less than 250 mm. According to Zaamwani, the Oshakati plant, commissioned in 1996, cannot currently meet demand, especially during the dry season.
The new extension will increase treatment capacity by 50,000 cubic meters per day, serving thousands of residents, farms, and businesses across the northern Oshana, Ohangwena, and Oshikoto regions.
Zaamwani said the project will support food production, reduce reliance on groundwater, and create jobs, especially for youth and women.
She also urged residents to pay for water to sustain operations and warned against vandalism and illegal connections. "This is not just a water intervention," the minister said. "It is an investment in public health, agriculture, education, and economic growth."
The semi-arid nation is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Its central northern regions rely heavily on a 160-km canal and pipeline system that transports water from Angola's Calueque Dam, placing increasing pressure on aging infrastructure. ■
