The Resettlement Policy should aim to improve the lives of landless or disadvantaged Namibians and be inclusive, irrespective of people's economic and social status.

These were the sentiments of the Popular Democratic Movement's (PDM) Diederik Vries in his contribution to the National Resettlement Policy under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform.

The general eligibility criteria for potential beneficiaries of resettlement is the requirement to have resource ownership and access to capital.

Green hydrogen has made a significant impact in Namibia, and the results of investments made towards this ambitious project can already be seen.

These were the sentiments expressed by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Technology, and Innovation, Natalia |Goagoses, at the Green Hydrogen Symposium.

Since 2022, over 180 students have benefited from the Namibia Youth for Green Hydrogen Scholarship Programme.

The programme, which is fully funded, is a collaborative effort between the German and Namibian governments. 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform has released the findings of an investigation into the mass mortalities of cattle in the Zambezi Region’s Kabe South constituency between June and November last year.

585 cattle, most of them old, pregnant, lactating, or young, died at 23 homesteads and 12 crush pen areas by the end of October.

Over 80% of the cattle visited were found to be in poor bodily condition at the time of the investigation, and poor grazing pastures were observed in most areas visited.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, said the water reuse method is an approach that can be taken in Kunene to address the water shortage in the region.

Schlettwein said this at the joint commemoration of World Wetlands Day and World Water Day in Opuwo.

Wetlands are ecosystems that contain water permanently or seasonally.

World Wetlands Day 2024 calls for attention to the interconnectedness between wetlands and various aspects of human existence.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, together with its partners, will be joining the rest of the world in commemorating World Wetlands Day and World Water Day.

This year's commemoration of these two significant days will be hosted in the town of Opuwo from March 12th to March 14th.

Wetlands Day is an environment-related celebration that dates back to 1971, when several environmental groups gathered to reaffirm their commitment to protect and love wetlands.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda, stated that the water crisis being experienced in the northern-central regions has been partially resolved.

Shiweda was responding to concerns raised by Rally for Democratic Party (RDP) MP Kennedy Shekupakela regarding the severity of the water situation in the Oshikoto Region.

A shortage of water in the Oshikoto Region has unleashed devastating effects on humans, livestock, and projects.

Some residents are forced to travel long distances to buy water, both for their own consumption and for livestock.

Some villagers, such as Shikongo Mingeli from Omutsegwonime, still have no access to potable water.

The 85-year-old travels 40 kilometres to and from Omuthiya to buy water for consumption for his family and their livestock.

It is a costly exercise.

Africa has regressed in attaining commitments made in the 2008 Declaration on Accelerating the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals. 

This is according to Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, who officially opened the 7th Africa Sanitation and Hygiene Conference at Swakopmund.

The five-day conference is a platform for technical and political dialogue with governments and stakeholders to address sanitation and hygiene challenges in Africa.

A team of veterinary experts is in the Zambezi Region on a fact-finding mission to establish the cause of cattle deaths in the flood plains of the region.

Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed hemorrhagic septicemia as the cause.

Hemorrhagic septicemia is a disease of water buffalo and cattle in tropical regions caused by specific serotypes of Pasteurella.

Farmers were advised to immediately vaccinate all their healthy cattle against Pasteurella, black quarter, botulism, and anthrax, as such diseases are common during the dry season in the region.

Namibia's goal is to enhance agricultural production and ensure national food security and self-sufficiency.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Anna Shigwedha, made the remark in response to Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani's inquiries regarding drip irrigation and soil moisture management for small-scale commercial agriculture.