Access to safe water at 97% in urban areas, PM says

About 97% of Namibians in urban areas have access to safe drinking water, while in rural areas, this figure stands at 87%.Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said this at the United Nations (UN) water conference in New York, which took place from 22 to 24 March.“Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with a semi-arid climate. As a result, we are compounded by water scarcity and high evaporation rates.”The lack of perennial rivers in the interior of the country has been a limiting factor for development, she said.Effective water-resource management is therefore fundamental to meet the UN’s sixth Sustainable Development Goal, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.“As a broad policy objective, Namibia strives to ensure equity in access to water and safely-managed sanitation, especially for rural agrarian communities.”She said access to water for all requires bigger investment and coordination among sectors and different development partners.Special envoyTo ensure that water remains a priority on the political agenda, government has reiterated a call for the appointment of a UN special envoy on water, the prime minister said.“There is a need to adapt the UN water structure to become a member state driven structure, making it more responsive to present-day realities and better suited for prosperity.”It is for this reason the Namibian delegation believes that the appointment of a special envoy on water would go a long way towards improving coordination amongst various agencies and bodies, she said.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila added that at national level, government’s funding for water for the next five years has been strengthened to address infrastructure development and the rehabilitation of pipelines at the coastal areas.This includes the development of feasibility studies for a desalination plant and a master plan study for the north-central areas.Climate change emergencyThe prime minister said climate change remains one of the biggest emergencies threatening the future of both the planet and people, with devastating impacts of more frequent and severe droughts, floods, bush fires, sea-level rise, desertification, land and soil degradation, heat waves, food and water insecurity and many more existential challenges.The water conference - formally known as the 2023 conference for the mid-term comprehensive review of implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development (2018- 2028) - is expected to adopt the Water Action Agenda.

Access to safe water at 97% in urban areas, PM says

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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Access to safe water at 97% in urban areas, PM says

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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