The arid climate and the annual fluctuating rainfall regimes in many regions of
Namibia form the basis of the problem of ensuring safe and continuous water supply
for the Namibian population. In poor urban regions water supply remains a special
problem. As an example Windhoek, the capital of Namibia was studied.
Some areas of Windhoek are growing very fast, especially the low-income informal
settlements in north-western Windhoek, where people settle themselves outside of
the formal, serviced areas of the City. Here the supply of water is a problem. As no
layouts exist for these areas and houses are built randomly, services are normally
provided almost as an emergency measure and at minimum levels of coverage.
However, water supply for the whole population will also become a problem in the
coming years.
Against the background of climate change and the expected changes in supply and
demand for potable water, this survey can contribute towards attaining the
millennium development goal of “halv[e]ing the proportion of the population without
sustainable access to safe drinking water” by investigating the demand for water of
different sections of the population. The report supplies interested parties with
detailed information about the daily water consumption at household level in different
parts of Windhoek. It focuses on the purposes water is used for in households as well
as on the access to water especially in the informal settlements.