New boreholes drilled for farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform drilled 94 new boreholes and installed 137 water supply units across all fourteen regions of Namibia during the past financial year.

The Kunene, Zambezi and Omaheke regions received the highest number of installations.

Fifty-one boreholes were rehabilitated, while 21 were cleaned and restored, bringing the total number of repaired boreholes to 72 for the year. The repairs are aimed at ensuring continued water supply and improving yield from existing infrastructure.

Three earth dams were completed during the period. The Mbone and Hameyi dams were built in Kavango West, and the Oshekaka dam in the Oshana Region. The ministry says these structures play “an important role in harvesting and storing surface water, especially during dry periods, thereby helping farmers and communities build resilience against drought”.

Additionally, 55 short pipelines were constructed, enabling 2 886 private water connections, primarily in the Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Omusati regions. According to the ministry, these investments were made “to bring water closer to households” and have “significantly reduced the distance rural families travel to access water and contributed to improved living conditions”.

Projects underway

Several bulk water projects are underway under the Namibia Water Sector Support Programme, funded by the African Development Bank. The Ohangwena II Wellfield was inaugurated in 2025, providing a new water source for north-central Namibia.

The Rundu Water Treatment Plant extension has reached 76% completion and is scheduled for handover in November 2026. The Oshakati Water Purification Plant upgrade commenced construction in 2025 and stands at 18% completion. Both plants will expand drinking water treatment capacity in their respective regions once completed.

Rural access to safe drinking water increased from 83.5% to 84.9% over the reporting period. The ministry attributes this to continued investment in both local water infrastructure and major bulk water supply projects.

On sanitation, the ministry constructed 1 676 sanitation facilities for vulnerable rural households.

Ninety communities were mobilised under the Community-Led Total Sanitation programme, and 181 national awareness campaigns were conducted. Open defecation declined from 40% to 39.4%, while access to basic sanitation services increased to 36.2% nationwide.

The ministry states that these initiatives are “particularly important to ensure water supply security and to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation for a country as arid as Namibia, where access to reliable water remains essential for community wellbeing, agricultural production and sustainable economic growth”.