Leader of the official opposition McHenry Venaani has urged President Nangolo Mbumba to promptly establish a water commission.
Addressing the media on Monday, Venaani said the commission will have the mandate to guide the management and utilisation of water resources.
“This commission ought to be mandated to oversee the comprehensive management of our water resources, and promote conservation efforts by providing a forum for collaboration and integration of the different water interests of the major stakeholders involved in the water sector. It is crucial for safeguarding our agricultural sector, ensuring food security and supporting Namibia’s overall economic growth. This is important to ensure Namibia does not regress into a water-stressed nation,” he said.
He stated that a Namibian water commission would not only ensure resource conservation and the management of water resources, ensuring its efficient and equitable use, but it would also facilitate a coordinated response to water shortages, including drought management and emergency relief efforts, and support research into sustainable water practices and technologies.
He further noted that Namibia should learn from other countries like South Africa, which have successfully tackled water challenges by establishing dedicated water commissions.
“These commissions have played pivotal roles in managing water resources efficiently, mitigating crises and ensuring sustainable use for generations to come. There is a need for us to rethink our water governance and usage. Accordingly, I call upon President Mbumba to take decisive action by establishing a water commission in Namibia,” he said.
The absence of a water commission is one of the reasons Namibia underutilises water in rivers along its borders, he reasoned.
“If you look at the utilisation of the Orange River, South Africa overutilises the Orange River as opposed to the Namibian side. If you look at the Zambezi River, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are overutilising the water basin more than we, as a country, are. If you look at the Kunene, we are technically doing nothing in Kunene, besides the rainwater that falls over Ruacana.
If you look at Kavango, Angola uses more water from Kavango than we are using,” he said.
-Nampa