Completion of the CuveWaters research and development project: Combining water supply, food security, energy recovery and capacity development for Namibia
From left to right: Dr. Thomas Kluge (ISOE), Leopold Niipare (MAWF), Hon. Matheus Ndeshitila (OTC), Dr. Helmut Löwe (BMBF), Hon. John Mutorwa (MAWF), Ullrich Kinne (Deutsche Botschaft Namibia), Prof. Erol Tyobeka (NUST)
After almost 10 years of research and development, the CuveWaters team headed by ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research presented its results on integrated water resources management in Namibia. The complex supply system was implemented at different sites in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, whose population is heavily affected by climatic extremes such as flooding and persistent periods of drought. In collaboration with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, partners in the field and local Namibian partners, it was possible to develop and implement solutions to the problem of providing sustainable water supply and wastewater disposal.
Closing Ceremony in Windhoek
End of November 2015, the research team handed over the last project sites to the Namibian partners, thus ending the CuveWaters project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). On November 25th 2015 all partners were invited to the CuveWaters Closing Ceremony in Windhoek. The project partners from Namibia were convinced by the enduring success of CuveWaters.
“The fact that the inhabitants of one of the driest regions on earth are able to supply themselves with water independently of rain periods has already made for a sustainable improvement in living conditions. The Ministry for Agriculture, Water and Forestry hereby pronounces and confirms that: the CuveWaters project was successfully implemented,” states Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Honourable John Mutorwa. The project links the issues of water, food and energy means in such a way so as to reduce poverty, secure good health and food supply, and enable adaptation to climate change.”
Dr. Helmut Löwe, Regierungsdirektor (Ministerial Counselor) at the German Ministry for Education and Research ended his speech addressing the Namibian colleagues: “This is now in your hands – and I am convinced that the plants are in good hands.”
To allow the results from this pilot project to be used for other semi-arid regions the project team has made its extensive results available on this website. Sharing our knowledge is an essential part of the CuveWaters philosophy.
With the end of the project the CuveWaters team would like to thank all its partners for ten successful years.