Field Lab at University of Namibia, Ongwediva

In 2014 the CuveWaters project, with financial support from the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, realized the construction of a Rainwater Harvesting Field Lab which is intended to be used for Research and Demonstration purposes by the University of Namibia (UNAM) in future. The construction was done at UNAM “Engineer José Eduardo dos Santos Campus”, Ongwediva between August and October 2014. As with previous Rainwater Harvesting construction sites, works were supervised by Isaac Kariuki and his team from One World Consultants, Kenya and in close cooperation with the Technische Universität Darmstadt (CuveWaters), the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern and the Freie Universität Berlin (both financed by GIZ).

During construction 10 trainees from institutions, such as the RDC Okashana and RDC Ongwediva as well as other interested people from the region, were trained in all aspects of tank construction, gardening and irrigation. The training spanned over a timeframe of six weeks and ended with a certificate to be a “Rainwater Harvesting and Irrigation Technician”.

The Field Lab consist of two tanks for water storage, a 30m³ ferrocement tank and a 50m³ underground rectangular tank. Rainwater is harvested on the roof of the students’ accommodation building and a greenhouse. Furthermore, a greenhouse, storage rooms, a drying unit and a shade house were constructed. Inside the greenhouse and in the outside gardens several kinds of vegetables are produced by using stored rainwater and water saving drip irrigation.

Already during construction, German and Namibian students gained valuable insights about the technology of rainwater harvesting and storage technologies as well as the links to other scientific subjects such as hydrology and agriculture. Storage tanks as well as garden infrastructure can furthermore be used in future for further research, for example on long term material performance of tanks and other infrastructure or research related to hydrological questions. 

The vegetables produced both in the greenhouse and in the outside gardens are sold to University staff and by that, income is generated to keep the whole facility running.