French agency provides N$8m towards water studies
TO support Namibia in building climate resilience in the water sector, the Agence Française De Développement (AFD) has committed approximately N$8 million to carry out underground water studies, exploration and management in the Kunene and Omusati regions.
The agriculture, water and land reform as well as the environment and tourism ministries were chosen as signatories to this initiative that must assist AFD and the French Geological Survey (BGRM), who have committed to support Namibia to carry out the underground water studies, exploration and management in the said regions.
The support will specifically seek to increase access to knowledge and strengthening the capacity of the Namibian government in water management and drought control.
The two ministries signed a memorandum of understanding with Bureau de Recherches Geologigues at Minieres (BGRM) on groundwater management. Environment and tourism executive director Teofilus Nghitila said on Friday that the AFD has so far provided seed funding via a grant mechanism of 500 000 Euros (approximately N$8 million) towards this exercise.
The project is expected to run over a two-year period. Nghitila noted that the whole project implementation is, however, estimated to cost about eight million Euros (over N$131 million), and mobilisation of the needed funds is underway through BGRM.
“It has been a great pleasure to be part of this initiative to showcase some of the initiatives being undertaken in the country towards the attainment of Namibia’s national determined contributions (NDCs). I am proud of the initiatives undertaken by both the private sector and our government to ensure that we make Namibia green and carbonneutral by 2030,” Nghitila stated.
AFD Group funds, supports and accelerates the transition to a fairer and more sustainable world.
During the One Planet Summit in Paris (December 2017), AFD decided to align its financial flows to the Paris Agreement by contributing to the establishment of low-carbon and resilient trajectories. In order to help countries implement the Paris Agreement, AFD has undertaken to establish new tools, including the 2050 Facility.
The 2050 Facility aims to accompany around 30 countries amongst the most vulnerable and emissive ones in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
The objectives are to support the development of long-term low-carbon and climate-resilient development strategies and related public policies, and accompany the governance of lowcarbon and resilient planning through stakeholders’ dialogue and capacity-building actions.
Nghitila said the Namibian government has validated the Namibian partnership plan, a national plan outlining planned activities for the implementation of NDCs as part of the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate.
“This collaboration enters within the framework of priority activities.
It aims, in particular, to increase access to knowledge and strengthen the capacity of the Namibian Government in water management and drought control,” he stated. Namibia is the driest country in Southern Africa, and is regularly hit by droughts affecting thousands of livelihoods and killing many livestock.