The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein stressed that the water agenda be accorded the same attention as climate change.
He was speaking after the conclusion of the UN-Water Conference in New York on Friday.
 

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein calls for UN coordination in water management. 

The minister said the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres should create a position within the UN that takes responsibility for water.

Schlettwein who is attending the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, said during an interview that the UN Secretary-General was approached by the Bonn Water Dialogues Key messages supporters to create a position within the UN that would be responsible for water and fill the coordination gap.

Once fully operational, the envisaged 5,000-hectare irrigation scheme at Neckartal Dam, on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop, will provide sufficient produce for not only the domestic market but exports as well.

The government invested N$5 billion in the construction of the Neckartal Dam, making it the biggest investment the government has ever made in the ||Kharas Region.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, held an engagement with stakeholders on the envisaged development plans of the Neckartal Dam.

The Black Business Leadership Network of Namibia (BBLNN) is against the idea of closing down the Meat Corporation of Namibia (MeatCo), citing favoritism of white-owned businesses and a flawed constitution.

This, the BBLNN states, is threatening the country's struggling economic security and national unity.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, says his ministry will first monitor the current boreholes at Groot Aub, which are said to be without water, before considering other options.

This follows complaints by residents about the lack of water at the settlement in the Windhoek Rural constituency.

Schlettwein and the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, were in Groot Aub on a familiarization trip to see the situation on the ground.

Climate change is threatening Africa's ecosystems and economies.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, says the situation is placing the African country's developmental gains, prosperity, and aspirations under the Africa Union Agenda 2063 in jeopardy.

He urged that all member states respond collectively and boldly to the challenges presented by climate change.

Namibia will soon implement a national water sector support program aimed at improving access, quality, and sustainability of the country's water supply and sanitation services.

Over the next five years, the project is expected to cost N$10 billion.

Agriculture Minister Carl Schlettwein announced the plans during a three-day regional conference on hydrology and water coordination at Swakopmund.

Schlettwein says the project would supply sufficient usable water until 2037.

Namibia is currently developing a national water sector support program to bring about an integrated nationwide water supply system at a cost of N$10 billion over the next five years.

This was said by the Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, at a three-day regional conference on hydrology and water coordination at Swakopmund.

Schlettwein says that the supply system is made up of a network of infrastructures for producing and distributing water, with the aim of supplying sufficient amounts of usable water up until 2037.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has called on stakeholders in the industry to be content with the disruptions brought by geo-political tension in the supply of basic foodstuffs.

Carl Schlettwein was speaking at the Inter-sectoral coordination and technical exchange workshop on food security and agronomic support.

There has been a significant contribution from the agriculture sector to Gross Domestic Product over the past years.

This was said by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein when he addressed his staff and stakeholders.

"The current developments show moderate growth in the agriculture sector. Our GDP contribution is now estimated to be 3.6%. Two years back it was dropping."