WINDHOEK – The international world water and renewable energy community is scheduled to meet at the Safari Court Conference Centre in Windhoek at the beginning of April to discuss water resources and hydroelectric power development. The three days of discussion are to be preceded by training workshops and seminars.
The ministries of Agriculture, Water and Forestry; Mines and Energy, as well as NamWater and NamPower are expected to participate, along with high-level utility representatives from other parts of the world.
According to organisers, the event will be an ideal opportunity to promote Namibian and African expertise in the field of hydropower and water resources development, and for interaction with international delegates. The conference, AFRICA 2019 – Water Storage and Hydropower Development for Africa, is being organised by AquaMedia International, publisher of the International Journal on Hydropower & Dams with readers in 180 countries around the world.
The event is being organised and hosted in partnership with the International Commission on Large Dams and has the support of the African Union, UNECA, NEPAD, SAPP, the International Energy Agency, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage; while teams from the World Bank, IFC and Africa Development Bank will also be participating.
Convening the event in Namibia will facilitate participation from the southern African region. Around 650 international delegates from about 50 countries are expected to attend while experts from all parts of the world will focus on issues of particular relevance to the African region, including technical, financial, environmental and social issues.
International delegates are expected to tour the Naute, Oanab, Neckartal and Hardap dam projects. There will also be a post-conference study tour to Ruacana, with a visit to the world-famous Etosha National Park.
There will be discussions on some of the large regional hydropower projects which are part of the AU and UNECA’s Programme of Infrastructure Development for Africa initiative, and a special session will be devoted to Lesotho Highlands II. High on the agenda will be climate resilience, dam and powerplant safety, project finance, research and development, maintenance and capacity building.
Other topics will include project preparation, the latest hydro equipment technology, challenging sites, cross-border collaboration, project rehabilitation, flood management, small hydro, environmental and social aspects, pumped storage, spillways, hydro in synergy with other renewables, sedimentation management and electrical engineering. A major international technical exhibition with at least 80 stands and companies from 40 countries is scheduled to run alongside the conference, showcasing innovation in the industry.