By: Rodney Pienaar
The environment ministry has secured N$60 million from the Adaptation Fund to implement two pilot projects on an underground water desalination plant using renewable power and membrane technology.
The projects will be piloted at Grunau settlement and Bethanie village located in the //Kharas region, Pohamba Shifeta confirmed.
“This is in pursuit to address climate change. The projects are to assist the treatment of poor local ground water quality to a level that complies with the national standards for drinking water using sun and wind energy to power the process known as reverse osmosis.”
The projects have been brought by Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, NamWater, ministry of agriculture, ministry of environment, //Kharas regional council, Grunau village council and Bethanie village council, all as part of a steering committee constituted in January this year.
Furthermore, other major works such as desalination plant design and environmental impact assessment have also started, said the minister.
“Finally the implementer, NamWater is busy with the process of acquiring additional land and to appoint the contractor latest September this year to construct the power plant. The entire projects are expected to be completed in May 2012,” Shifeta said.
The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) ,the national accredited entity for Namibia to access funding from Green Climate Fund (GCF), has also secured about N$140 million to implement a project titled ‘ Improving rangeland and Ecosystem management practices of smallholder farmers under the conditions of climate change in Sesfontien , Fransfontien and Warmquella.’
A funding activity agreement was finally entered into between the EIF and GCF on the 5th of December 2018 during the COP 24 in Katowice, Poland.
Said the minister, “The project management unit is currently being set up in order to kick-start the implementation of the project.”
