231017002322 - Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the proposed Otjombinde Rural Water Supply Scheme, Omaheke Region.

Otjombinde settlement is the district capital of Otjombinde constituency in the Omaheke region. The constituency forms part of the of the border between Namibia and Botswana in the eastern central of Namibia. The Omaheke region has insufficient water resources for the large-scale development of Otjombinde constituency. Whilst some area could be supplied by with groundwater sources transferred from nearby schemes and potential wellfield development, water from outside of the region is required in a long term to supply the central portions of the Otjombinde Constituency. Due to the poor groundwater potential in most of the inhabited areas in the Otjombinde Constituency of the Omaheke Region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (“MAWLR”) is implementing various projects under the Namibia Water Sector Support Program (NWSSP) which aims to address the water supply and sanitation challenges that is affecting regions in the country. The program has identified the need for Otjombinde Water Supply Schemes Project. Which sees the need to provide a water supply pipeline to convey good quality water in sufficient quantities to the rural communities in the study area, either from existing schemes (including NamWater schemes). The pressure from the population in the overgrazed upper catchment areas, where most of the livestock is concentrated, to move into the underdeveloped grazing areas in the east, is high and the MAWLR is forced to annually drill expensive and mostly unsuccessful boreholes in the remote grazing areas. The area is known to have a very low groundwater potential in most parts and a low rate of successful boreholes. The improvement of water supply through the construction of new groundwater schemes in areas with good groundwater potential and the connection of villages to existing schemes is proposed to bring relief in the short term. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (the proponent) has appointed GCS Water Environmental Engineering Namibia (Pty) Ltd (“GCS”) for conducting the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process for the project. The ESIA is required to ensure sound environmental management by MAWLR and to meet the international funder standards for environmentally and socially sustainable development, as it is sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The project must also meet the legal requirements of the Namibian Environmental Authorities. Under the Environmental Management Act (2007) and its Regulations (2012), an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for: 8.2 The abstraction of groundwater at a volume exceeding the threshold authorised in terms of a law relating to water resources. 8.8 The Construction and other activities in water courses within flood lines. 8.11 Alteration of natural wetland systems. 10.1 The construction of (a) oil, water, gas and petrochemical and other bulk supply pipelines.

Prpject status VERIFIED

For further information contact:

Ministry of Environment and Tourism

Department of Environmental Affairs

(+264 -61) 284 2701 (T)

(+264-61) 240 339 (F)

http://www.met.gov.na