Driving National Impact: WaReNam Moves Namibia’s Water Reuse Agenda Forward

From October 13 to 24, 2025, a delegation of WaReNam partners from the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUDa) and the Emschergenossenschaft-Lippeverband (EGLV) visited Namibia to advance the WaReNam project through face-to-face meetings, site visits, and joint meetings with local stakeholders. The trip provided a good opportunity to deepen partnerships and assess progress in the various work packages to ensure alignment with the project’s common goals.

The WaReNam Project activities kicked off with a two-day workshop on capacity development for water reuse, hosted by NamWater HRDC in Okahandja on Monday, 13 and Tuesday, 14 October 2025. Within the successful workshop, the participants from NamWater, EGLV, the Namibian Training Authority, TUDa and ISOE identified areas of collaboration in operation and maintenance, training and curricula development.

The first key event was the 2nd Round Table Meeting on 15 October, hosted by SASSCAL in Windhoek, which brought together stakeholders from policy, industry, and academia to discuss potential applications for reclaimed water. The meeting highlighted sectoral priorities, water quality requirements, and collaborative approaches, strengthening engagement across ministries and local authorities.

During the 5th WaReNam Consortium Meeting on 16 October in Windhoek, the project partners shared updates on technology pilots, governance activities, and capacity development. Key outcomes included progress on the Walvis Bay and Oshakati demonstration plants and a clearer roadmap for advancing a national water reuse strategy through tailored and driven project outcome activities and products.

During the second week of the trip, the German partners travelled to Oshakati and Eenhana. The technical partners, led by TUDa, met with the Oshakati Town Council and discussed the progress on the Oshakati Demonstration Plant. In Eenhana, WaReNam and NUST hosted a Capacity Development Workshop with local authorities on 22 October at NUST Eenhana campus, fostering inter-municipal exchange of experiences, challenges, and solutions in wastewater treatment and reuse, and laying the groundwork for continued collaboration across municipalities in northern Namibia.

The 2nd Steering Committee Meeting in Windhoek on 23 October consolidated guidance for Namibia’s National Water Reuse Strategy, with discussions focusing on policy versus strategy pathways, prioritization of task forces, and timelines for delivering draft policy recommendations. The meeting reinforced cross-sector collaboration and highlighted the importance of coordinated governance and capacity development.

The week concluded with a debriefing session on 24 October between the colleagues of ISOE and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform as project custodians, reviewing outcomes from all meetings and workshops, aligning next steps, and ensuring continuity of project activities for the remainder of 2025.

Overall, the trip strengthened inter-institutional collaboration, advanced pilot site implementation, and made significant strides in Namibia’s national water reuse agenda through shared learning, policy guidance, and capacity development initiatives.

WaReNam Project Showcases Water Reuse Progress at 26th WaterNet Symposium in Lusaka

 Namibia, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) and the WaReNam Project, took part in the 26th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium held at Ciela Resort, Lusaka. The event brought together regional policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss innovative solutions for sustainable water management in Southern Africa.

Ms. Cynthia L. Ortmann (Deputy Director, MAFWLR) and Ms. Charmonix Coetzee (WaReNam Project Assistant) presented Namibia’s progress on establishing a Multi-Scale Water Reuse Strategy for Namibia under the WaReNam Project. The presentation, “Unlocking Potential: Establishing Governance for Namibia’s Multi-Level Water Reuse Strategy”, showcased milestones in pilot plant development, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement.

Throughout the symposium, the WaReNam team engaged in sessions on water security, climate resilience, and technological innovation, contributing to discussions on how water reuse can strengthen national and regional sustainability goals. The participation reaffirmed Namibia’s leadership in advancing practical water reuse approaches in arid regions.

The symposium concluded with a gala dinner celebrating regional collaboration and innovation, while paving the way for next year’s 27th WaterNet Symposium in Tanzania.