The residents of Uuvudhiya and Oluthalweegolo Villages in the Oshana Region welcomed the revival of the Olushandja-Uuvudhiya canal, which now provides much-needed water to the community and the surrounding areas.

While this is a welcome development, residents are concerned about the lack of sufficient grazing land for their thousands of livestock.

The canal, which connects villages across the Oshana, Omusati, and Oshikoto regions, was revamped to address the long-standing water scarcity.

Its completion brought relief to the residents of Uuvudhiya, who heavily depend on livestock farming for their livelihoods.

Tobias Amwaama from Oluthalweegolo Village says, despite the improved access to water, a lack of sufficient grazing land remains a pressing concern for the community.

"The cattle were struggling to survive because we did not get sufficient rainfall. We are happy now that there is water. However, the grazing is depleted, and that is also a challenge with which we are worried about how they will cope in the coming months."

Simon Uukango, Uuvudhiya Village Headman Representative, says, "Despite the water finally reaching our area, our cattle do not have to travel long distances anymore. But the lack of grazing is a very big concern because we depend on our livestock for survival."

A resident of Uuvudhiya Village, Nambashu Paulus, says, "We are calling on the government to assist us with fodder in order to supplement our diminishing supply because if we lose our cattle, we will have limited means of survival as we have no jobs and rely on livestock farming."

Some farmers have resorted to travelling long distances in search of grazing, while others have assumed rotational grazing and fodder cultivation to mitigate the impact of a lack of grazing.