Background
In Namibia, the most arid country South of the
Sahara, the central northern
region is the most densely populated area, with 42 % of the Namibian population
living in the region. Seasonal alterations of drought and heavy rainfall, mostly
saline groundwater, lack of permanent rivers and climate change make the water
supply for the population as well as water management difficult. An annual
population growth of 2.1 %, high population density and ongoing urbanisation,
missing sanitation facilities and soil degradation cause severe stress for the
ecological system.
Based on a
feasibility study, the
joint research project CuveWaters aims to further the conceptual development and
practical implementation of an integrated water resources management (IWRM) that
is embedded in existing processes and adapted to specific natural, political,
social and economic conditions. General task is to optimise water allocation
between various sectors and to consider interlinkages between water utilisation
and use of other resources like land, energy and nutrients with the help of
knowledge management, transfer and adaptation of technologies as well as
participation. Objective is to secure and to develop endogenous resource
potentials of the region.
In the CuveWaters research project the integration of
science, technology and society into a transdisciplinary research and
development process is an essential part. Research results are meant to
contribute to the solution of practical problems for actors and to scientific
progress.
Workshop activities as an integral part of the transdisciplinary research
approach will play an important role to support achieving project’s objectives.
Stakeholder workshops will take place at regular intervals;
the first one was held
in Oshakati, Namibia, October 2007.
The developed IWRM
concept will be analysed concerning its implications and influence beyond the
immediate regional application, both in terms of the neighbouring regions of the
South African Development Community (SADC) and in terms of its possible transfer
to other regions that experience analogous problems.
Download project information (pdf-file,
936 kb)
Press Release: Funding of CuveWaters II granted - Implementation phase is
ready to start pdf, 27 kb
Contact: cuvewaters@isoe.de
Project start: November 2006
Funding:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
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