The African Development Bank (AfDB) is committed to supporting the Namibian government in future interventions in the water sector, the bank’s representative Herbert Chinokoro said.

Speaking in Windhoek on Monday, Chinokoro, AfDB’s senior water and sanitation engineer, said the support will help the government increase access to water and sanitation services for 100% of the population.

This support will further “ensure sufficient water reserves for industrialisation and land servicing, and housing development purposes, as well as enhance resilience to climate change, in alignment with National Development Plan goals on environmental sustainability and resilience”.

He said this at the beginning of the two-day National Workshop on Water Security and Climate Change in Namibia.

Chinokoro noted that the AfDB underscores the importance of water security to improve Africa’s social and economic development.

The bank is currently supporting the Namibian government with a N$1.9 billion and a N$61 million grant towards the Water Sector Support Programme.

“The aim of the programme is to increase access, quality, security and sustainability of water supply and sanitation services in Namibia. It is also to strengthen the capacity of sector agencies to deliver better services as a first step to responding to the threats of water scarcity and climate change,” he added.

Since 2012, the AfDB has invested an estimated US$6.5 billion in water resources, water supply and sanitation services. At the end of October 2021, the bank’s active water sector portfolio stood at US$5.02 billion, comprising over 100 projects implemented in 40 countries.

“Climate finance will play a key role in making low-carbon and climate-resilient investments bankable by lowering the cost of capital and buffering risks both for sovereign and non-sovereign operations. The AfDB will continue to play a key role as a financier, partner and advisor to its regional member countries to assist them in enhancing access to available resources, as well as capitalise on future financing opportunities from climate-related funds,” said Chinokoro, who is the AfDB task manager responsible for Namibia, Zambia and Lesotho. 

The two-day workshop was held under the theme ‘Enhancing synergies and breaking down silos in water resources’ management for sustainable development in Namibia’. - Nampa