Namibia 80% water dependent on neighbours

Although Namibia is one of only two countries in Africa that have increased their water storage capacity in recent years, it still more than 80% water dependent on its neighbours.The levels of water security in Africa overall are unacceptably low, according to the first such assessment released by the United Nations.Just 29 of 54 African countries have made some progress in water security over the past three to five years, the State of Water Security in Africa assessment found.It says with regard to the percentage of population using at least basic drinking-water services, Egypt, Libya and Mauritius performed strongly with 99%, followed by Tunisia (98%), Seychelles (97%), Algeria and South Africa (94%), and Botswana (92%).“Six other countries (Cape Verde, Ghana, Senegal, Gabon, Namibia, and Mali) are moving towards 90%.”Storage damsOn the component of water infrastructure, the assessment says only Ethiopia and Namibia increased their water storage between 2015 and 2020.“Ethiopia increased its large dams to 35 by building six new dams with a cumulative storage capacity of almost 140 million m³. In 2018, Namibia finished the construction of the Neckartal Dam, adding another 880 million m³ to its total national storage capacity.”It says that across Africa, 50% of all countries score very low, reflecting the low level of water storage development on the entire continent.The report mentions that the African average per capita storage capacity increased only marginally (3%) from 851 m³ in 2015 to 876 m³ in 2020.Egypt stands out as the most water-dependent country on the African continent, with a dependency ratio of over 98%.“However, there are five other countries with over 80% levels of water dependency on their neighbours, being Mauritania, Niger, Sudan, Botswana, and Namibia.”

Namibia 80% water dependent on neighbours

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-16

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Namibia 80% water dependent on neighbours

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-16

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