Namibia's dam levels up after March rains

AllAfrica.com via the Namibian: Widespread rains over the catchment areas of Namibia's main water reservoirs have boosted dam levels over the past month. While dam levels in the east and the south of the country are now higher than at the same time last year, dams providing water to the central areas of Namibia hold less water than a year ago. The biggest dam providing water to the central areas of the country, the Swakoppoort Dam near Okahandja, has received substantial inflows over the past month, though, lifting its level to close to what it was a year back.

The country's biggest dam, the Hardap Dam near Mariental, was filled to 73,5% of its capacity at the start of this week, after an inflow of more than 85 million cubic metres of water during the previous week. A year ago, the Hardap Dam's level stood at 44,5% of its 294 million cubic metres capacity.

The Hardap Dam now holds almost twice as much water as five weeks ago, when it was 37% full. The country's second largest reservoir, the Naute Dam near Keetmanshoop, was filled to 72,3% of its capacity of 83 million cubic metres of water at the start of this week. A year ago, its level stood at 72,2%. Five weeks ago the Naute Dam was 56% full.

The Swakoppoort Dam's level was measured at 63,7% of its capacity of 63 million cubic metres of water at the start of the week. A year ago, the dam was still 66% full, while its level had fallen to 45% of its capacity five weeks ago....

The Hardap dam in Namibia, shot by Robert Raderschatt (Robert.raderschatt), Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Namibian agriculture in major decline due to drought

AllAfrica.com via the Namibian: country's economy grew by 4,4% last year despite a severe drought, which was rated as one of the worst in recent years, the Namibian Statistics Agency said in the rebased GDP statistics for 2013. The agriculture sector was worst hit by the drought and contracted by 26,9% compared to a growth of 8,8% in 2012.

The agency said the 4,4% GDP growth was due to the growth in the secondary and tertiary industries that recorded growth rates 8,7% and 6,4% respectively.

The secondary industries' growth was mainly driven by the booming construction sector. The Agency said growth in the construction sector was due to growth in the construction works in the mining and public sectors.

Primary industries on the other hand, recorded a decline of 9,3% compared to a growth of 16,7% in 2012. This was due to the poor performance of the agriculture sector, the fishing sector, which contracted by 2,6% and the mining and quarrying sector that recorded a decline of 1,2% in 2013. "The drop in mining output is attributed to the decline in uranium production," the agency said....

How Namibia can cope with drought

Axel Rothauge in AllAfrica.com via the Namibian: Decades of experience in the commercial livestock production sector of Namibia have shown that one of the surest ways to bankrupt a farming business quickly is to feed expensive emergency fodder during a drought. Many Namibian farmers are currently learning this painful lesson, again.

While there is little that can be done about it in retrospect, those farmers that survive this drought financially should start work immediately to cushion the impact of the next drought, which will certainly come within our lifetime, and again at a most inopportune time. The worst thing a farmer can do is to resume farming as usual after this drought and only start worrying about the next drought when it is there. Planning for a drought is best done when it is raining, when there is still time.

A drought is caused by inadequate rainfall or rainfall that is so poorly distributed over a rainy season that too little fodder grows on the veld; less than is needed to feed all the animals on the farm. Essentially, a drought is a period of extreme fodder deficiency. Often, a climatic drought is made worse by the poor condition of the rangeland before the drought. This "man-made" drought on top of a climatic drought has devastating impacts on farming.

During a drought, it's a struggle for survival. Any preparation has to be done before, while it still rains. What can be done? Produce extra fodder to stash some away and build a fodder bank in time. Home-produced fodder is nearly always considerably cheaper than bought-in fodder, which tends to run out just when it's needed most, sending prices sky-high. Surplus fodder can be sold as a cash crop or integrated into the regular feed flow of a farm. The main ways to grow extra fodder is to establish plantations of drought-tolerant fodder plants on a farm...

The Etosha Pan in Namibia, shot by Greg Willis , Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

South Africa evaluates Namibia's drought priorities

Albertina Nakale in AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): Delays in processing the N$100 million pledged by South African President Jacob Zuma in drought relief aid last November have been attributed to needs and priorities listed by the Namibian government, which the South African High Commission in Windhoek says "cannot be supported."

However, it has emerged that the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and relevant stakeholders are currently evaluating those needs and priorities with a view to structuring the package of assistance in order to give effect to president Zuma's pledge as soon as possible. The South African High Commission indicated the provision of technical aid and expertise with boreholes, provision of water tankers, the procurement of seed and food for feeding programmes listed by Namibia cannot be supported.

New Era reported exactly three months after Zuma pledged N$100 million in drought relief aid that the donation remains entangled in bureaucratic red tape. However, the South African High Commission denies that there is any bureaucratic red tape involved and that everything is moving accordingly. Regarding the latest developments on the pledge, Frans Kapofi, Secretary to Cabinet said the Namibian government is still awaiting the donation. "We are still waiting whatever will come from South Africa. The South African government has committed itself to support Namibia and it is a welcome commitment. We are waiting for such support and hopefully it will be forthcoming," Kapofi said on Monday.

On the contrary the South African High Commissioner to Namibia, His Excellency Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini yesterday said that since early December last year, the two governments have been in discussions to facilitate the package of assistance that is aligned to the current needs and priorities of the Namibian government's drought relief response plan....

Namibian drought still severe amid sparse rainfall

Desie Heita and Magreth Nunuhe in AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): The drought relief programme that includes the distribution of food, seed, subsidies for fertilisers and grazing should continue "until such time the affected people are able to regain their normal livelihoods".

This is part of the recommendations contained in the just released Agricultural Input and Household Food Security Report by the National Early Warning and Food Information System (NEWFIU), in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. The government's drought relief programme was to end in March this year. A food assessment found that many households are without sufficient food, have lost huge numbers of their livestock, have insufficient seeds to plant this season and that surviving livestock are too weak to be used as draught animals in the crop fields.

The report, which is based on field visits to various areas across the country, noted that food security in the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions "is worsening", while the situation in Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena and Omusati is said to be "weakening".

A ground assessment by New Era confirmed the report's findings, with farmers still complaining of a lack of access to seeds, ploughing services as well as subsidies for grazing and households without sufficient food.

Councillor for Epukiro Constituency Ruth Mbura said some Epukiro farmers are still waiting for government to pay out subsidies to those who sold their animals. She said that while others received their money in cash, those who opted for bank transfers have been waiting since November last year to receive payment. Farmers in Epukiro and Aminuis constituencies, the two most devastated constituencies in the Omaheke Region, say their livestock continue to die in large numbers as very little rain was received. Farmers in the two constituencies have put the number of large livestock casualties at 200 in the last three months. There are no official figures available yet and New Era could not independently confirm the figures....

A dune in Swakopmund, Namibia, shot by Joachim Huber, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license 

Update on the Namibian drought doesn't look promising

AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): Just days into the new year fears are mounting countrywide that rainfall deficits last November and December portend similar prospects for the main rainy season of 2014 from January to March.

Below average rainfall in November and December brought little relief to the drought-stricken country and the first week of January 2014 has left little room for optimism, as will next week with hardly any rain in sight for most of the country.

The situation has also put a big question mark over the annual rain forecast of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Regional Climate Outlook Forum's Climate Service Centre for 2014. Last year in June the centre raised Namibia's hopes for normal to above normal rainfall from October 2013 to March 2014.

The Namibian Government went on record late last year that the country could have been better prepared to tackle the drought, which has affected close to 40 percent of the population, had the SADC weather forecasters given more accurate rainfall predictions.

The SADC weather forecasters predicted normal to above-normal rainfall from October to December 2012. This was in contrast to the Namibia Meteorological Services' (NMS) cautioning about poor rain prospects early in February the same year.

Namibia is still in the grip of the worst drought in three decades that has left 778 504 people both food insecure and moderately food insecure. Of that figure, 463 581 people are food insecure while 330 927 are moderately food insecure, the deputy director of the Emergency Management Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Helena Likando, was quoted at the closure of 2013....

Parched earth in Namibia, shot by Robert Raderschatt (Robert.raderschatt at de.wikipedia), Wikimedia Commons, public domain 

Promising rainfall for Namibia

AllAfrica.com via the Namibian: Good rains have been received in the northern and central parts of the country this week, the Namibia Meteorological Services (NMS) reports.

Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb recorded the highest amount of rainfall of 52.2 millimetres (mm) and 49 mm, respectively on Sunday. Windhoek and Grootfontein also recorded some good rains of nearly 40 mm and 27 mm, respectively.

NMS Chief Hydrologist at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Pauline Mufeti said the water levels of some perennial rivers have risen tremendously due to the heavy rains that fell in the last couple of weeks.

"The latest river flow readings show that some perennial rivers recorded water levels that are above normal," she reported....

Scientists prodded on massive Namibian aquifer

New Era (Namibia): The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa has urged water scientists to move faster in making the hydrological research results into a massive underground aquifer publicly known.

He was referring to the recent newly discovered aquifer called Ohangwena II, that spans the northeastern region and, which flows under the boundary between Angola and Namibia. “Ohangwena has (underground) water. We had a meeting at State House to discuss drought. Cattle are dying. Then we asked, when are we going to utilise the water resources in Ohangwena? At one point those results must be known and be used in one way or another to solve a practical problem which is drought,” stressed Mutorwa. “If you found water, let the donkeys, cattle and farmers tell us that they drank that water.” Mutorwa who was speaking yesterday during the first two-day regional workshop on groundwater resources governance in trans-boundary aquifers, which Namibia, Botswana and South Africa share outlined the importance of water in arid Namibia. “Water is fundamental to the existence of life.”

The workshop is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with Unesco to discuss the implementation of the regional – Groundwater Resources Governance in Trans-boundary Aquifers and the Stampriet-Kalahari/Karoo Aquifer project. The main goal of the project is to enhance cooperation on water security, reduce trans-boundary and water-use conflicts, and improve overall environmental sustainability. The project also aims to reinforce the capacity building of member states in managing groundwater resources; to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders and countries sharing aquifers, as well as to develop a long-term strategy for the monitoring and governance of trans-boundary aquifers. He urged governments involved in the project to redouble their efforts and to ensure that they support research initiatives and other activities through funding....

A red sand dune in Namibia, shot by Rui Ornelas, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

No record of drought related deaths in Namibia

Tonateni Shidhudhu in AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): The Omusati Region is currently one of the hardest hit region in the country, with thousands of people suffering a lack of food and a number of livestock dying due to a lack of grazing and water, Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob informed parliament yesterday in his update on the devastating drought.

Geingob said he spoke to Omusati Governor Sophia Shaningwa who identified that the water flow from Angola has also drastically reduced. Shaningwa is expected to meet with Angolan authorities at the end of this month to discuss the provision of water from Angola to Namibia. The premier also quashed reports of deaths due to the drought saying no person has died as a result of drought and government's distribution of drought relief in the regions is progressing well.

Geingob said he is in touch with all the regional governors on the latest drought situation and its impact on people and was informed that since the declaration of the drought emergency no governor has reported any death in their regions due to a lack of food. "I therefore would like to state that we should make a distinction between malnourishment and hunger caused by poverty and malnourishment and hunger caused by a lack of rain due to drought," he said.

The problems with food distribution in Omusati have been resolved and the region now has 12 vehicles and two NDF trucks delivering food to people in the 12 constituencies. In Omaheke Region, Governor Festus Uitele had informed the prime minister that Aminuis has received water, except for the delay at Otjinene due to limited drilling equipment.

Geingob said Otjozondjupa and Kunene regions have also reported good progress. It was however reported that a certain community in Kunene Region had moved back into the mountains, making it difficult to reach them with food supplies. But Geingob said plans are underway to use a helicopter to deliver food to the community in the mountains....

Drought claims 123 cattle in Namibia

Magreth Nunuhe in AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): Farmers at Orevia in the Omaheke Region have since last year lost 123 cattle due to the severe drought affecting 900 000 people in the country. Because of the stock losses communal farmers say close to 100 people in dire straits.

Ukarapo Tjirombora, the headman and traditional councillor of Orevia, told New Era that to make matters worse, the machinery which pump water to the only water point in the area broke down last year already and have not been repaired.

The community now depends on a borehole, which also does not contain "sufficient water", as it is apparently not very deep to provide the required quantity of water, according to Tjirombora.

Tjirombora said that consequently residents have had to stop gardening, which has always been a means of providing food as they used to plant mealies, carrots,onions and other crops for own use.

"Even the dam has no water," he said, adding that the foundation is broken and trees have started growing in the base of the dam....

The Namib Desert near Sossusvlei, via NASA

UN ready to assist Namibia mitigate drought

AllAfrica.com via the Namibian: The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced yesterday that the UN is ready to support Namibia fight the effects of the drought that is currently ravaging Namibia. In a message to the 11th Conference of Parties to the parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification yesterday, Ki-moon said the conference was taking place at a time Namibia is facing a severe drought.

"You meet as Namibia faces severe drought. The United Nations system stands ready to continue to support your efforts to mitigate its effects and build resilience. Desertification and land degradation threaten the livelihoods, well-being and sustainable development of at least one billion people.

In the drylands of Africa, climate change is already having an impact. Temperatures have risen by about two degrees Celsius in some areas. Long periods of drought, famine and deepening poverty are impoverishing and depopulating vast areas," he said.

He said healthy land is a prerequisite for food and water security and necessary to avert political instability. "We need it for climate change resilience and preserving valuable biodiversity. World leaders at Rio+20 acknowledged the threat of desertification, land degradation and drought in all regions, and especially for developing countries. As we define the post-2015 development agenda, we need to be able to measure progress towards the commitment to halt and reverse land degradation," he said...

The Fish River Canyon in Namibia, shot by GIRAUD Patrick, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Drought in Namibia - snapshot of the future?

Dominic Farrell in AllAfrica.com via ThinkAfrica Press: Namibia is facing what could be its most severe drought in thirty years. The immediate crisis is serious, but it underlines the importance of Namibia's efforts to become climate-resilient. Namibia, the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, is currently facing its worst drought in 30 years.

In the Kunene region in the north, rain has not fallen for two years, and the UN recently estimated that 778,000 people - approximately one third of the population - are either moderately or severely food insecure. And this has had knock-on effects in the south of Angola, where an estimated 1.5 million people are also believed to be food insecure.

In Namibia, hospitals are admitting increasing numbers of people suffering from malnutrition - with one district hospital in the Ohangwena region reporting a 76% increase in paediatric malnutrition since March - and many groups are finding it difficult to maintain their ways of life.

To tackle these problems, the Namibian government has pledged $20 million in relief for the worst-affected households, and UNICEF is trying to raise $7.4 million to reach the 109,000 children under-five who are at risk of severe malnutrition....

A springbok antelope in the Namib Desert, shot by Luca Galuzzi Luca Galuzzi - www.galuzzi.it, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license

Namibia drought: one in three at risk of malnutrition

David Smith in “globaldevelopment” blog at the Guardian (UK): One in three people in Namibia is at risk of malnutrition, the UN has warned, as the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa endures its worst drought for a generation.

The government declared a state of emergency after the failure of crops in May and pledged $20m (£13m) of relief for the worst-hit households. The Kunene region in the north has had no rain for two years, and families have been forced to sell livestock and migrate to cities in search of work.

After a summer lacking rains and a typically dry southern hemisphere winter, Unicef, the UN's children agency, has appealed for millions more to tackle the situation.

"An estimated 778,000 Namibians, a third of the population, are either severely or moderately food insecure," said Unicef, noting that this includes 109,000 under fives. "Against a backdrop of underlying fragility, including pre-existing high levels of food insecurity and maternal and child undernutrition (29% national stunting) combined with low sanitation coverage (14% in rural areas), children and women are particularly at risk of worsening health and nutrition status given the current drought conditions," the agency added.

Unicef has appealed for $7.4m (£4.8m) to support efforts to respond to the needs of women and children affected by the drought. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is asking for $1.48m (£1m)…

Ancient dunes from the Namib-Naukluft Park in Namibia. Shot by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license

Urgent food aid needed to save lives in drought-stricken Namibia

Alexander Matheou in a press release from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:  The headline in Namibia’s national newspaper is dramatic: 38 die of starvation in the first five months of 2013, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg as the drought enters its most bitter period.

Such news would normally stir outcry and action, but here the response has been lukewarm. There are two reasons for this. First, Namibia is a stable, middle income country that lacks the aid sector which would raise red flags in other parts of the continent. Second, while the figure of 38 malnutrition related deaths is horrific, it actually represents a decrease relative to figures from 2010 and 2011. In parts of Namibia, chronic hunger is not uncommon in poor households, even in a normal year.

...But to categorize this drought as a chronic crisis requiring only long-term, poverty reduction interventions would be a mistake that costs lives. The government declared an emergency in May this year for a reason. The drought has – albeit slowly – shattered livelihoods and left people without an ability to meet their basic survival needs.

This becomes evident deep in the pastoralist drylands of north west Namibia, where tribes preserve a way of life that is a global heritage. 

...Food aid is no solution in the long-term. But right now, for the most drought affected communities in the arid of lands of Namibia, that is just what is needed to preserve life and health until the next rains and harvest....

The Kalahari Desert in Namibia, shot by Elmar Thiel, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Germany license

Namibia and Angola: Red Cross appeals for worst drought in 30 years

Katy Migiro in AllAfrica.com via AlertNet: Desert-hardy Namibians, overwhelmed by the worst drought to hit their country in 30 years, are surviving off wild fruits with no harvest in sight until March 2014, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said as it launched an appeal on Monday.

The government of Namibia, the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, declared a national emergency in May. Drought has resulted in crop failure and livestock deaths across the tiny country of 2.1 million people.

Maize production is 34 percent below average and over 330,000 people, or 14 percent of the population, need immediate food aid.

"A lot of the people I met had nothing in their food stores, absolutely nothing," said Hanna Butler of the IFRC, who recently visited Kunene, one of the worst hit regions in northern Namibia. "People are foraging for wild fruits ... Everyone just told me: 'I have nothing. I'm not sure what's going to happen'."

The capital city, Windhoek, received just 166 mm (6.5 inches) of rain between October and April, less than half the average for a rainy season of 355 mm, local media reported. It is the lowest figure on record since 1981/82...

Photo of Namibian desert by Scott A. Christy (Heyheyuwb),Wikimedia Commons, nder the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Drought torments Namibian farmers

Francia Xoagub in AllAfrica.com via New Era (Namibia): With memories of last year's drought still fresh in their memories, communal farmers in the south are afraid the current devastating dry spell will continue until December.

One of the worst droughts in years continues to worsen according to the latest Namibia Crop Prospect and Food Security Situation Report. "At this point in time I'm very concerned about it," said Daniel Gariseb (63) of farm //Khu !Hoes in the Berseba district during an interview with New Era this week.

"It can get wet fast, but our drought pattern from last year has not changed. We haven't had much moisture this year and we are already in the winter," lamented Gariseb, who also observed: "We're starting to see farmers sell their cattle because they don't have grass to feed them."

He lost two goats out of a herd of 72 due to the drought and was also compelled to sell 30 of his goats at give-away prices to commercial farmers who seem to exploit the situation. "There are areas of our farm and ditches I've never seen this dry," he said.

"I'd sure like to see some moisture, especially in the subsoil and we need a lot of rain and less heat going through July and August," said the small-stock farmer. The farmer, who herds his own goats in the bone-dry planes of Berseba Constituency, acknowledges that among farmers close to him "only a small percentage... came out okay," because of having their crops adequately insured and their healthy financial status....

A date palm plantation in Namibia, shot by Anagoria, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

How can we mitigate the effects of climate change

Dr Moses Amweelo in New Era (Namibia): The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 8th Session of the Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol opened on 26 November to 8th December 2012 in Doha, Qatar.

... There is increasing concern over scientific conclusions regarding social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change in Africa, particularly as Africa has contributed the least to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, and that the continent is most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and has the least capacity to adapt.

...The south and the central parts of the country have been placed under red alert after experiencing the heaviest rainfall seen since devastating floods killed around 800 people in 2000 (The Namibian 24,January 2013 p.22). According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) regarding the status of the world’s climate in 2010 temperatures averaged over Africa were 1.29°C above the long term average, breaking the previous record by 0.35° C. Moreover, the Saharan/Arabian region was 2.22 °C above normal, the largest annual anomaly ever recorded for any sub-region outside the Arctic and East Africa, which never had a year as much as 1 °C above normal prior to 2003, has now reached this threshold in eight successive years.

...Those countries and communities who have contributed least to climate change but who are already in vulnerable situations will feel the adverse effects of climate change most acutely. In order to reduce greenhouse gases, all countries (developed and developing) should enhance their contribution to long-term cooperative action to combat climate change with a shared vision, which is based on and in fulfillment of the objectives, principles and provisions of the UNFCCC or Convention in particular with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, equity and historical responsibility....

Flooding on the Klein Windhoek River, shot by Bries, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license

Too soon to tap Namibia's groundwater find, experts say

Servaas van den Bosch in SciDev.net: The extraction of the much needed water from a large underground aquifer in northern Namibia may need to wait for further studies, officials have warned at a water investment conference.

The aquifer, discovered in July, may contain enough water to sustain about one million people living in the area for 400 years at the current consumption rate, as well as boost development through irrigation in this poor, heavily overgrazed area where women and children walk for hours to get fresh water from boreholes.

But officials and scientists have cautioned against too much optimism until further studies have been conducted. One reason is that  the aquifer is under a smaller, polluted water resource, so it is still unclear how it could be tapped.

"We need to determine the extent of the water reserve and its accessibility first. There is a lot of brackish [partly salty] water in the area," Abraham Nehemia, under-secretary at Namibia's agriculture, water and forestry ministry, told SciDev.Net on the sidelines of the Namibia Water Investment Conference, held this month (12–14 September) in the capital, Windhoek.

Heike Wanke, a hydrogeologist at the University of Namibia, also warned against rushing into exploitation. "The positioning near a polluted aquifer means boreholes must be drilled at appropriate places," Wanke said, adding that studies on the age of the aquifer which will also inform sustainable extraction rates have not been completed yet....

Ancient dunes from the Namib-Naukluft Park in Namibia, Africa. A great shot by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen from his book, One for the Road by B.C. Tørrissen, also available from an online gallery. Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Vast aquifer found in Namibia could last for centuries

Matt McGrath in BBC World Service: A newly discovered water source in Namibia could have a major impact on development in the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. Estimates suggest the aquifer could supply the north of the country for 400 years at current rates of consumption.

Scientists say the water is up to 10,000 years old but is cleaner to drink than many modern sources. However, there are concerns that unauthorised drilling could threaten the new supply.

For the people of northern Namibia water is something that they either have too much of or too little. The 800,000 people who live in the area depend for their drinking water on a 40-year-old canal that brings the scarce resource across the border from Angola.

Over the past decade the Namibian government have been trying to tackle the lack of a sustainable supply in partnership with researchers from Germany and other EU countries. They have now identified a new aquifer called Ohangwena II, which flows under the boundary between Angola and Namibia....

The Grootberg Plateau in Damaraland, in north central Namibia, shot by markos, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Southern Africa is the region most affected by climate change

Clemencia Jacobs in AllAfrica.com via the Namibia Economist: Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity and the grand irony is that humans might be the architects of their own downfall, said Derek Hanekom, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology at the signing of a declaration that will establish a regional science centre to support cross-border research into climate change.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday last week, Hanekom said although sub-Saharan Africa is not the biggest culprit when it comes to pollution, it is the most affected by the impact of climate change.

Five southern African countries, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Angola and Botswana, with the assistance of the German government, will establish the Southern Africa Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL). The signing of the joint declaration effectively inaugurated the centre.

SASSCAL aims to strengthen trans-boundary science and technology development in the SADC region using regional and international expertise.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Zambia's Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, Dr John Phiri, said for too long Africa has relied on data and information on climate change from scientists outside the continent, therefore SASSCAL would come in handy.

"We have tended to look at climate change, food security and poverty challenges separately. We know that 60% of our people live in rural areas, we also know that 90% of our rural population depend on agriculture; most important of all, we do know the future climate predictions give a much more uncertain climatic condition for agriculture, with potentially devastating negative consequences.

Victorian Falls bridge, Zambian side, shot by Florence Devouard, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported