Last week, Namibia inaugurated the Nerckatal Dam in the southern part of the country, built at an astonishing R$5.6 billion, becoming the country’s largest water reservoir expected to improve water supply security as well as boost agriculture production.
Namibian Vice President, Nangolo Mbumba, described the inauguration as an engineering marvel that will improve the country’s food security and provision of clean portable water to his country as well as a major achievement by that country’s government in meeting the developmental targets of vision 2030.
Vision 2030 is Namibia’s economic blueprint started by the Founding President, Dr Sam Nujoma, to move the third world economy into a full industrialised nation by 2030 and has been pursued by both former President Hifikepunye Pohamba and current President Dr Hage Geingob.
“The importance of this engineering marvel which we are witnessing today is not to be found in its display of concrete and engineering excellency as much as we appreciate such achievements. Rather the essence of this dam ought to be seen in the greater scheme of things, that of enabling and being a catalyst of water supply, a catalyst for energy generation, research and development and industrialisation and job creation,” Mbumba said.
Completion of the Nerckatal Dam project also comes at a time when that country has been struggling to find a long lasting solution to water supply for both its consumption as well as to drive agriculture which has been constantly hamstrung by recurrent droughts stimulated by indefinite climatic conditions.
Source: southerntimesafrica.com
