Old pipes swallow half Namibia’s water
Namibia is losing over 50% of its water supply due to aging infrastructure and high evaporation rates, prompting government officials to call for urgent repairs. The situation is exacerbated by drought conditions and the potential impact of El Niño on water security.
Why it matters
Water scarcity is a critical infrastructure and climate challenge that threatens the economic and social stability of Namibia.
Namibia loses more than 50% of its water during supply because of ageing infrastructure and evaporation.
Minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform Inge Zaamwani says the country cannot afford to lose so much water when farmers are already struggling with water shortages due to worsening drought conditions.
“50% of the water that we put in our pipeline to supply our community gets lost because the infrastructure is aged or because of the heat that actually takes the water away from the canals. It is not fair that we are already a water-stressed country and more than 50% of our water is lost in the process of supply,” Zaamwani said during the third Namibia Regional Water Symposium at Swakopmund yesterday.
Zaamwani called on NamWater, local authorities and other institutions to repair ageing infrastructure, reduce water losses and improve water supply to communities.
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