Abenab aquifer our lifeline

The CEO of NamWater Vaino Shivute is urging government to consider the Abenab aquifer as a short-term measure in addressing the current water crisis.The dolomite aquifer is situated near the Abenab Mine and is part of the Okavango-Omatako Basin, which is located in the north-eastern part of Namibia, stretching across the entire Kavango Region and parts of Otjozondjupa Region. Shivute said the Abenab aquifer has a capacity of a minimum of 12 million cubic metres per annum, which is sufficient to feed the current demand.“It will be able to supply us for at least three consecutive years, and if you only extract for instance half of the limit then you can extend it for longer,” he told Nampa shortly after a media briefing on the current status of water in the country.Shivute was adamant that the Abenab aquifer is a viable option.“There is a substantial amount of water there.”Shivute said the estimated cost of building infrastructure at Abenab, which mainly includes pipelines, electricity and storage facilities, is forecast to be N$500 million.He emphasised that the usual trend includes extracting water from a source for a period of at least three years, before it is left to recuperate for one or two years before further extraction, which can be applicable to the Abenab aquifer. “It will obviously not be cheap but I think is it worthy of an investment while we look at the long-term plans,” he added.Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa convened the meeting to issue a response on the impact of the current water crisis on businesses, the central areas of the country and the country at large upon request by the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).The NCCI requested President Hage Geingob last month to seek such responses, which was then referred to Mutorwa by Presidential Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi last Friday. Ironically, no official from NCCI was present. They later claimed that they were not aware of the meeting. The Abenab aquifer is one of many alternative measures that government is looking at, such as desalination and sourcing water from the Okavango River and Kombat Mine in the Otjozondjupa Region to address the issue.However, issues ranging from feasibility and environmental impact assessments to erecting infrastructure and deliberation on the bilateral negotiations with neighbouring states such as Angola and Botswana pose more obstacles. Namibia currently faces one of its most devastating droughts in over 35 years, which prompted President Hage Geingob to declare a state of emergency last week.NAMPA

Abenab aquifer our lifeline

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-15

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Abenab aquifer our lifeline

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-15

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