Namibia ponders desalination to beat water shortages

Namibia mulls desalination as a solution to the persisted water shortages and to supply irrigation schemes that use 430 million cubic metres per year.

Agriculture minister John Mutorwa told parliament Friday that the 600 million Namibian dollars (40.8 million U.S. dollars) allocated for water programs during the 2016/17 financial year is a drop in the ocean.

Mutorwa said Namibia cannot rely on underground water resources only.

He further said that drilling boreholes is a waste of financial resources if there is no rainfall.

"The remaining option is seawater. It is the only option to embark upon and government has a plan on how to go about doing so," he said.

Part of the money allocated for water programs, he said, will be used for desalination and research.

According to Mutorwa, the research is expected to provide information that will be used to coordinate, develop and manage water resources.

Areva, the French company specializing in renewable energy has a desalination plant at the coastal town of Swakopmund about 350 kilometers from the capital that supplies water to Trekkopje uranium mine.

Mutorwa said the Namibia Water Corporation was discussing the price with Areva and that the government of Namibia had held meetings with the French ambassador to Namibia on this issue. Enditem