Residents of Amaupa and Iikokola villages in Namibia’s Omusati region are in urgent need of clean drinking water.
Development Diaries reports that water scarcity has severely impacted villages in different parts of the region, as residents continue to demand that the government provides an immediate solution to their water challenges.
Water scarcity is likely Namibia’s biggest problem, as it is the driest country in southern Africa and among the driest countries in Africa.
According to a report by Namibian, the residents marched to the office of Omusati Regional Governor, Erginus Endjala, in June, pleading with him to make it easier for their villages to receive clean drinking water, but they have not been responded to.
Water is often referred to as the ‘elixir of life’. However, in the Omusati Region of Namibia, water scarcity is a harsh reality that impacts the lives and livelihoods of its residents.
This arid region, located in the northwestern part of Namibia, faces a myriad of challenges related to water availability, distribution, and quality.
According to research from Science District, boreholes provide up to 65 percent of Namibia’s water supply, with surface water sources providing only 35 percent.
‘We get water through water tankers and I can tell you that water is never enough. It is not only residents of the two villages but also other surrounding villages. Some even go without getting water’, a resident of one of the villages, Paulus Shiweva, said.
Shiweva said some residents drink dirty saline water from wells, and although there are boreholes in the area, they are not functional.
‘The region has promised to fix them, but to date, they are not yet fixed’, Shiwewa added.
It is understood that the main cause is low water pressure in the pipelines.
As the impacts of climate change intensify, water scarcity will remain a formidable challenge, and concerted efforts are needed to mitigate its effects.
Development Diaries calls on the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to urgently respond to the water needs of the residents and ensure a more water-secure future for the people of the Omusati region.
Photo source: LUBEGA IBRAHIM
