Laina Alexander
Rural areas are the pinnacle for a country’s development, supporting the urban with agricultural products and, for many in Africa, a solid link between ancestors and family land.
Governments, for the last decade, have been making efforts to support the development of rural areas through the provision of services, such as water and sanitation.
However, this has not been enough to curb migration to urban areas. More so, the rural areas are now seen as placeholders for the expansion of urban areas, especially in Northern Namibia.
Rural development ensures a society's modernisation and transformation from traditional isolation to integration with the national economy.
In Namibia, rural development is defined as actions aimed to improve rural people's standard of living by proving basic social and economic services and empower them through the creation of political, legal, economic and social environment.
Rural development has been emphasised in various legal framework in Namibia, including the National Development plans, Vision 2030, Communal Land Reform Act No.5 of 2002, Harambee Prosperity Plan, as well as the Rural Development Policy and Strategy.
The Rural Development Policy and Strategy is aimed specifically at spearheading rural development in Namibia; however, despite the objectives of the policy and approaches put in place to achieve these objectives, some rural areas in Namibia still face major challenges, such as hunger, poverty and little to no access to basic services. Unevenness or disparity in the improvement of living conditions of urban and rural areas continues to be a general developmental challenge in Namibia.
Thirty-three (33) years after independence, the country still has a majority of its people facing difficulties with accessing water; this is evident in the Kavango East and West regions, where the Kavango River is a significant water supply, but residents must avoid crocodiles to access it.
In numerous cases, some people have suffered injuries, while others have lost their lives.
In addition, due to the consumption of water with high salt content from home-made wells, some communities, like that of Amarika village in the Omusati region, located 73 kilometres from Oshakati, continue to worry for their health, while those in Ohangwena must go long distances by foot to fetch water.
Another serious issue in rural areas is the status of most rural schools. Some children are taught under trees and in wooden classrooms, and teachers are left with no other choice but to repair these structures, using the materials available and their own salaries.
This is quite sad in a society that claims to value equality and great education for all Namibian children. Throughout the rainy season, these children must struggle with their books being wet, and one can only image what a Namibian child goes through throughout the winter season.
Groot Aub is an example of a rural settlement faced with the challenge of land shortages for its development, partly due to the high urbanisation rates of Windhoek.
The settlement was incorporated into the Windhoek Rural electoral constituency in 2017 to enhance its overall socioeconomic and spatial development. However, this urban-rural integration has mainly benefitted the City of Windhoek. According to the media, majority of the residents were against this integration, but despite the resistance from the community, the integration was done regardless. According to recent sources, the City of Windhoek put a moratorium on water sourcing, which has led some residents who are dependent on full-time farming to halt their farming businesses, leading to their continued experience of food insecurity. Since 2003, there has been a moratorium put up to prevent land sales, setting up permanent structures and drilling of borehole. In addition, there are concerns of never-ending natural resource exploitation occurring in Groot Aub as result of the increasing need for these resources by Windhoek.
An example is the increasing sand mining operations that have direct negative impact on the socio-economic and environmental of residents of Groot Aub and its residents. These development challenges are possible consequences of imbalance or poorly coordinated or uncoordinated development that benefit Windhoek to the detriment of Groot Aub.
The land grabbing activities that are happening in Groot Aub undermine the initial efforts of incorporating Groot Aub into Windhoek (Windhoek Rural). Instead of the settlement investing in institutional development, it is now faced with a land shortage problem due to people leaving the city to settle in the settlement.
Namibia has been making efforts to ensure sustainable development; however, one thing that needs to be made clear is that sustainable development cannot and will not be achieved without prioritising rural development. To achieve sustainable urban-rural growth, integrated planning is essential. Investment in processing, extension and essential infrastructure, such as transportation systems, to improve urban-rural links will have a long-term impact on the livelihoods of important communities in both rural and urban locations.
It is quite evident that the development of rural areas could create a pathway for the eradication of poverty in a country and lead to the creation of decent rural jobs as well as overcome hunger. Therefore, to accomplish a balance between rural and urban areas for sustainable development. The interrelationship between urban and rural areas should be explored to ensure a balanced development between both areas, instead of promoting a one-sided relationship between urban and rural areas.
* Laina Alexander is an environmental consultant at Tortoise Environmental Consultants (TEC). Her research interests are rural development, urban-rural land linkages and sustainable development. The views expressed in this article are entirely hers and not that of TEC.