Water Desk
The Water Desk enhances coordination
and information-sharing of activities addressing water-related issues
in Namibia.
We are involved in river basin management and other components
of integrated water resources management (IWRM). DRFN’s role
as networker and facilitator plays a particularly important role
in the water sector, where vital inputs are made by institutions
such as Namwater, government departments involved in water and sanitation,
municipalities and local authorities, development agencies and,
most importantly, people who use water and pay for it (or not, in
some cases).
The DRFN helped to facilitate creation of the country’s
first basin management committee in the Kuiseb River Basin. By emphasizing
that the water resources are shared and everyone’s joint responsibility,
diverse institutions and individuals agreed on a common vision for
sustained use of the Kuiseb’s water resources. The formal
Basin Management Committee is now established and functional. A
similar awareness-creation, integration and implementation process
is now being rolled out in other basins, with involvement of Water
Desk staff.
The Water Desk contributes to the understanding of the dynamics
of ephemeral rivers and their associated groundwater reserves in
southern Africa. These natural resources are vital components of
Namibia’s economy, the livelihoods of her people, and the
natural environment.
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