Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
13 February 2014
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
THE SEARCH FOR A LONG TERM WATER SOLUTION FOR THE CENTRAL AREA OF
NAMIBIA AND THE CUVELAI
For some time, the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF), NamWater and the
City of Windhoek (CoW) have been aware that the water supply in the Central Area of Namibia
and in the Cuvelai will in the long-term not be adequate for the continuing growth in population
and economic activities.
In response, the MAWF has commissioned this Pre-Feasibility Study, to be undertaken by an
engineering consortium (Lund Consulting Engineers CC and Seelenbinder Consulting Engineers
CC incorporating other companies)and an independent environmental and social consortium the Sustainable Solutions Trust (for the EIA) and Southern African Institute for Environmental
Assessment (external review).
The objective of the Pre-Feasibility Study is to investigate all alternative water sources which
can be developed to secure a long-term, affordable water solution for the Central Area of
Namibia, including parts of the Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Regions, and the Cuvelai area up to
2050.
This first phase includes an Engineering component (technical & financial assessments) as well
as an independent Environmental and Social component (screening, scoping and assessment) as
required by the Environmental Management Act, to find the best option(s). The final judgement
on the favoured option(s) will be made on the basis of a full feasibility study and EIA which will
likely form part of a later assessment in 2015 and beyond.
Public Participation - Register as Interested and Affected Parties
We are committed to ensuring that good communications and transparency are achieved and
maintained throughout the study.
/ more..
2
Water Solution
You are invited to register as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP) and we will keep you
informed as draft reports and information meetings are scheduled. We are developing an
interactive website on which public information is posted and through which interested and
affected parties and all stakeholders can interact and communicate with the teams, the Project
Steering Committee and the client. Results of public meetings and issues raised will also be
circulated on the website, to which IAPs can contribute.
Register with: Auriol Ashby, aaplm@mweb.com.na, Cell: 081 419 3212.
The 1stround of public meetings will take place in early June 2014 in Windhoek, Oshakati and
Rundu. The plan for the study time frame is as follows:
Study Timeframe
Expected
Timeframe
February 2014
Main Project Components
February 2014 –
June 2014
Assess water demand up to 2050;
Identify water source options to address shortfall;
Critical analysis of technical options, including combinations and
hybrids.
Scoping assessment of environmental and social impact issues for each
option;
June 2014
1st round of public meetings – Windhoek, Oshakati &Rundu
July – August
2014
Update findings; Agree on preferred option(s) requiring more detailed
study (not more than 3 options).
August–
January 2015
Further investigate, analyse and synthesise technical, financial,
environmental and social investigations including impacts, implications
& potential mitigation;
Early 2015
2nd round of public meetings – Windhoek, Ondangwa &Rundu
–First Quarter
2015
Prepare Pre-feasibility Study Report & Environmental Scoping Report;
Prepare reports, Terms of reference for full feasibility study & EIA on
Project launch
preferred option(s).
1. The Need for this Study
Further development and growth in both the Central Area of Namibia (CAN) and the Cuvelai,
and by extension in Namibia as a whole, is dependent on securing long-term water supply.
Failure to do so will result in reduced economic activity with serious social and economic
consequences.
/ more...
3
Water Solution
Long-term water security for the CAN and the Cuvelai areas requires further investigation. The
investigation needs to identify future water demands, the feasible options available to meet the
water demands, the preferred option(s) (including possible combinations and hybrids) based on
engineering, financial, environmental, social and economic assessments, so that the
recommended measures can be implemented before any shortfall occurs, which on the basis of
recent demand modelling, is forecast to be in the region of 2020.
Previous studies into alternative water sources for the CAN did not include the Cuvelai area,
which is dependent on a single source, namely the Calueque Dam and the associated transfer
scheme, which is located in Angola. This is of concern to Namibia. An alternative (back-up)
source is therefore required for this area. This is the first strategic study to consider the areas east
of Okakarara and north-east of Otjinene in terms of future water demand.
2. Realistic technical options we will consider to meet water needs
Central Area of Namibia (CAN)
A substantial amount of work has been done in recent years and the Engineering team have
identified many of the more realistic options for water augmentation to the CAN, which include
one or more (possibly a combination of) of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Tsumeb and Karst Area III aquifers,
Development of the Kalahari Aquifer between Grootfontein and Rundu. Very little is
known about this aquifer at this time, beyond its possible potential use for water supply
and perhaps artificial recharge. More extensive exploration drilling will in all likelihood
therefore be required to determine the abstraction potential (storage volumes seem to be
very high) of this aquifer and the feasibility for abstraction and artificial recharge in the
long term,
Use of water from the Hardap, Oanob and Friedenau Dams to keep the Windhoek
Aquifer full,
Potential abstraction from the Rehoboth aquifer,
Further development of the Otjiwarongo Marble Aquifers,
Potential abstraction from the Omaruru Aquifer,
Potential utilisation of the Otjivero Dam as a possible source for the Eastern
Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Regions with regard to determining the water demands for
these areas,
Further development of the Windhoek Aquifer and its recharge project including
increasing the capacity of the “water bank” towards the south-west,
/ more ...
4
Water Solution
9.
Additional use of direct reclamation as a result of the upgrades to the Gammams Waste
Water Treatment Plant currently under investigation by the CoW. If the capacity of the
Gammams Plant is to be extended, the capacity of the New Goreangab Water
Reclamation Plant could be extended, or alternatively, a new plant could be constructed
to treat additional volumes of reclaimed water based on advanced reclamation with a
membrane system (ultra-pure water),
10. Extensions to the dual pipe system in the Windhoek municipal area following the
completion of upgrades performed at the Old Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant in
2010-11 and the proposed new Ujams Water Treatment Plant (construction commenced
in the first third of 2013),
11. Water reclamation in other towns (advanced reclamation) in the CAN which use more
than 1 Mm3/a of water,
12. Completion of Kavango Link – i.e. linking the start of the Eastern National Water Carrier
canal at Grootfontein to the Okavango River either at Rundu or elsewhere.
The Cuvelai area
The options regarding potential additional water sources for the Cuvelai area appear to be
somewhat limited. These include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Abstracting water from the Kunene River on Namibian soil below the Ruacana Falls,
which although still utilising water from the same source as currently, has the advantage
of locating the abstraction and transfer infrastructure entirely on Namibian soil,
Development of the deep Ohangwena Aquifer in the area around Eenhana. Very little is
known about this aquifer at this time, beyond its possible potential use for water supply
and perhaps artificial recharge. More extensive exploration drilling will in all likelihood
therefore be required to determine the capacity of this aquifer and the feasibility for
abstraction and artificial recharge in the long term,
Water reclamation and re-use in the central nucleus of Oshakati, Ongwediva and
Ondangwa, which could include direct reclamation or partial re-use of “grey” water for
irrigation purposes,
Development of the ground water sources to the east and west of the central pipeline
network. This could include linking up the existing individual borehole installations for
supply to the central Cuvelai area or developing new well fields for this purpose,
The desalination of saline ground water in the central portions and possibly in remote
parts of the Cuvelai area,
Use of Lake Oponono,
The abstraction of water from the Okavango River.
The Environmental and Social team will engage with the Engineering team to help ensure that
all viable options are being considered, and to understand the full implications of the engineering
options being considered.
/ more..
5
Water Solution
3. Critically analyse technical options and consult
The Environmental & Social team will take each option and systematically subject it to a SWOT
analysis. The team will identify all the environmental and social strengths and weaknesses of
each option, look at how the weaknesses and impacts could be mitigated and ensure that there
are no critical factors that would eliminate an option from further consideration. This work will
be done individually by the specialists, and then brought together for discussion and in a small
workshop. The results from this analysis will be presented in a detailed matrix with supporting
documentation.
At the end of this process, expected to be June 2014, the first one-day public consultation
meeting will be held. This will be an open meeting for all I&APs and stakeholders and thus will
be advertised in the local media. A stakeholder list will also be prepared and specific invitations
will be distributed via e-mail. This meeting will be held sequentially at three different venues, in
Windhoek for the CAN I&APs, in Oshakati for the Cuvelai I&APs and in Rundu for I&APs
with interest in the potential Okavango link.
Schematic showing project stages and indicative timeframe
Feb 2014
Determine time-based water needs
in the Central Area of Namibia and
the Cuvelai, and thus shortfalls
Study launch
press
conference,
website
Identify technical options to address
shortfalls
Jun 2014
Critically analyse technical options,
including combinations and hybrids
and assess environmental & social
impacts
1st Public
Participation
meeting
Determine preferred option(s)
Early 2015
st
1 quarter
2015
Analyse and synthesise technical,
environmental and social
information to derive an overall
preferred option or options
Prepare reports and cost estimates
ENDS
for full feasibility study
2nd Public
Participation
meeting
6
Water Solution
Issued by:
Margaret S. Kalo
Chief Public Relations Officer
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Tel.: 061-2087719
Cell: 0812581511/081122 6797
Email: kalom@mawf.gov.na
Abraham Nehemia
Under Secretary Department Water Affairs and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Tel.: 061-208 7699
Cell: 081 127 5151
Email: NehemiaA@mawf.gov.na
Florence Sibanda
Deputy Director Water Planning
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Tel.: 061-208 7263
Cell: 081 244 3365
Email: sibandaf@mawf.gov.na
Chris Brown
Sustainable Solutions Trust
Tel: +264 (0)61 402373
E-mail: chrisbrown.namibia@gmail.com
Webpage
www.NamibiaWaterAugmentation.com