EIF secures access to clean drinking water

The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, has successfully completed an extensive programme aimed at improving drinking water supply in rural areas.

Over a four-year period, modern water treatment and softening technologies were introduced at several borehole sites to sustainably improve access to clean and safe drinking water. The project was initiated in response to longstanding problems of high groundwater salinity, particularly in Namibia’s arid and semi-arid regions.

The initiative was conceptualised in 2022 as an innovation and pilot project, with practical implementation beginning in January 2023.

Its objective was to address structural water supply challenges in remote communities over the long term. During the pilot phase, EIF, together with local experts, initially implemented three installations in the Erongo region.

Building on these experiences, the responsible ministry subsequently allocated approximately N$40 million for the planning and expansion of additional site-specific solutions.

Processes

Technologies deployed included reverse osmosis systems and solar-powered borehole pumps adapted to local environmental conditions. In total, 17 borehole sites were covered in two project phases. The first phase included 13 sites in the Karas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions, while the second phase focused on four additional sites in the Oshikoto region, which has been particularly affected by water quality challenges.

The technical design prioritised long-term operational reliability and reduced operating costs.

The installations have since been handed over to the ministry in a functional state.

More than one thousand households are already benefiting from improved water quality, both for daily household use and for small-scale agriculture and livestock farming.

In addition to infrastructure development, strong emphasis was placed on building local capacity. A total of 69 water-point committee members and regional officials were trained in the operation and maintenance of the systems. Furthermore, 127 temporary jobs were created during the construction phase, contributing positively to local livelihoods.