If all goes according to plan, fresh desalinated water will be available from the desalination plant in the Erongo Region by 2027.

This announcement was made by Carl Schlettwein, the Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, during his address at a Land Development Conference in Henties Bay.

The government, through Namwater, aims to establish a secure, sustainable, and affordable potable water supply network by utilizing groundwater aquifers, specifically the Omaruru Delta and the Kuiseb Delta in the vicinity of Walvis Bay.

"Therefore, approval has been granted for the construction of a second desalination plant with a capacity of approximately 20 million cubic meters. We anticipate that construction will commence in January 2025, and if all goes as planned, fresh desalinated water will be available by early 2027. Additionally, the sanitation systems in all three towns require refurbishment and expansion. To address this, my Ministry has been assigned the task of implementing the Revised Sanitation Strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in 2023. Our objective is to ensure the construction of proper and adequate sanitation infrastructure that delivers high-standard sanitation and hygiene services."

Namibia heavily relies on ground and surface water sources, and Schlettwein emphasized that climate change has significantly impacted freshwater cycles and water availability.

"The recent rainy season has resulted in the lowest runoff levels in the past 100 years, leading to very low water levels in many of our dams. Simultaneously, we experienced a poor crop harvest and inadequate grazing, resulting in productivity losses in the livestock sector. It is evident that climate change is negatively affecting our two most valuable resources: water and food."

The minister highlighted that Namibia must make policy decisions that mitigate current risks to water supply and the agricultural sector.