Water scarcity has become a pressing concern in Namibia’s Oshikoto region, where families are struggling to access this essential resource. The situation has worsened with the intensification of the dry season, particularly in remote areas like Onalukula village. Local government official Stephenson Tuukondjele notes that the water shortage is a regional issue, affecting not only Onalukula but the entire region, with the problem starting earlier than usual this year.
Normally, the water shortage occurs around October or November, but this year, some areas ran dry as early as July. The water supply from Angola, which is distributed through a series of pipelines, is insufficient to meet the growing demand of households and livestock. Tuukondjele attributes this to the complex system and limited water supply, stating that “the water just isn’t enough to meet the demand.”
Residents, such as Ndahafa Haimbodi, a member of the Onalukula water committee, have been experiencing water shortages for years, with the situation becoming dire towards the end of the rainy season. This year has been particularly challenging, with no running water since June. The pipeline in Eben-Ezer has dried up, and residents are forced to buy water from neighboring households at a high cost, ranging from N$5 to N$20 per five-liter container.
The lack of affordable water has significant implications for the community, particularly for those with limited mobility, who must pay extra for water collection. Haimbodi and her fellow committee members have reached out to government offices for assistance, but their efforts have yielded little results. The community has not received water deliveries from the government for months, and the lack of water has affected not only households but also livestock.
The water shortage has also impacted Eben-Ezer Primary School, where parents must buy water for the school-feeding program. The school’s toilets lack running water, highlighting the urgency of the situation. Haimbodi is calling on the government to repair and replace the aging pipelines in Eben-Ezer.
In response, Tuukondjele acknowledges the challenges and notes that the government is rehabilitating the infrastructure, albeit slowly, due to factors like power outages. The government has been dispatching water trucks to affected areas on a rotational basis, but resources are limited, allowing only a few communities to receive water each day. Long-term solutions, such as the Oshivelo water project and borehole drilling, are underway to address the root cause of the crisis.
