National Water Policy White Paper

REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development NATIONAL WATER POLICY WHITE PAPER Policy Framework for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Water Resources Management and Water Services AUGUST 2000 A Policy towards integrated management of Namibia's water resources with the participation of all Namibians! An oxbow picture of Kwando River in Caprivi Region, Namibia, on the border with Botswana 2 “When I was a boy, the ponds and waterholes used to last the whole year through. Now they are dry and empty. When the rains came and filled the Osha nas, we used to take our baskets and go fishing. Now the fish baskets hang from the roof poles as ornaments. They are never used. We walked to school through long grass as high as our arm-pits, as far as you could see. Now the grass has all gone and there is nothing for the cattle to eat.” Witness to the changing water landscape in the Cuvelai basin Oshakati, October 1999. 3 FOREWORD Water gives life to Namibia's people and is essential to the country's social, economic, and envi ronmental security. In the face of increasing demands and rising costs, water has become a com modity of strategic importance in Namibia. Currently, a large proportion of our rural population and urban population is without safe drinking water, and an even high proportion lack proper sanitation. Thus the poor, who often have the most limited access to water resources, feel the greatest and most immediate impact of this situation. This Policy Document constitutes a strategy by the government's ongoing Review process to work with all stakeholders in addressing the challenges of Namibia's water resources. It follows the gov ernment's resolve to formulate a new water policy as part of a new approach for post-colonial man agement of water resources and the provision of adequate water in Namibia. The government is committed to implementing the proposed framework in the context of the needs, priorities, and con straints of the country. This Policy Document further recommends that Namibia adopt a systematic approach to water resources management, using an integrated, multisectoral framework that con siders issues of decentralization, social equity, ecological protection, and economic growth. The central message of this Policy Document is one of optimism, because the groundwork already exists for the sustainable management of Namibia's water resources. I trust that this Policy Document will stimulate dialogue and encourage consultation with all the stakeholders, particularly the rural and urban poor, to develop an effective partnership between gov ernment and the private sector as well as between Namibia and its neighbours and the international community. Moreover, this dialogue and consultation is expected to lead to the process of enacting a new Water Bill to replace the outdated Water Act 54 of 1956. My greatest appreciation and acknowledgements go to all who directly or indirectly contributed to the development of this policy, especially the intersectoral Task Force that had guided the Review process and the work of the Technical Team responsible for producing this document. I am convinced that this Policy Document is a tool for us to use in order to create the necessary con ditions to enable the Namibian water sector to meet the water needs of the Namibian population into the 21 st century and beyond. Hon. Helmut K. Angula Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development 4 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CBM Community Based Management DWA Department of Water Affairs DRWS Directorate of Rural Water Supply FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation GRN Government of the Republic of Namibia GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management MAWRD Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development NWRMR Namibia Water Resources Management Review NGO Non-Governmental Organisation SADC Southern African Development Community UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNCED United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development WASP Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Policy WASCO Water and Sanitation Co-ordinating Committee WRMA Water Resources Management Agency ZACPLAN Zambezi River System Action Plan 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Sector Reform Process .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Structure of The document ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER ONE......................................................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Water: a fragile national resource ............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.1.1 Constraining characteristics of Namibia's water resources ................................................................................................... 10 1.1.2 International watercourses: rights and obligations ................................................................................................................ 12 1.2. The need for reform..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2.1 Important changes since independence ................................................................................................................................. 13 1.2.2 International norms and their implications for the Namibian context ................................................................................... 14 1.3 Current management of water resources and water services ................................................................................................. 15 1.3.1 Management of the resource base.......................................................................................................................................... 15 1.3.2 Management of water services .............................................................................................................................................. 17 1.3.3 The existing law and policy framework ................................................................................................................................ 19 CHAPTER TWO....................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 Guiding water policy principles ................................................................................................................................................. 21 2.1.1 The need for an integrated approach ..................................................................................................................................... 21 2.1.2 Basic principles and their implications.................................................................................................................................. 22 2.2. Detailed principles and objectives.............................................................................................................................................. 25 2.2.1 Water Resources Assessment Principles ............................................................................................................................... 25 2.2.2 Shared watercourses .............................................................................................................................................................. 26 2.2.3 Water Use and Conservation Principles ............................................................................................................................... 26 2.2.4 Economic and Financial Principles ....................................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.5 Legislative and Regulatory Principles ................................................................................................................................... 28 2.2.6 Institutions and Community Participation Principles ............................................................................................................ 29 2.2.7 Human Resources Development Principles........................................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER THREE.............................................................................................................................................. 32 3.1 Water resources assessment........................................................................................................................................................ 32 3.1.1 Implementation of integrated approaches to resource development ..................................................................................... 32 3.1.2 Managing hydrological risk and vulnerability....................................................................................................................... 32 3.1.3 Enhancement of capacities .................................................................................................................................................... 33 3.2 Shared watercourses.................................................................................................................................................................... 33 3.2.1 Consultations and agreements with riparian neighbours ....................................................................................................... 33 3.2.2 Strengthen and standardise approaches to international river basin management ................................................................ 34 6 3.3 Water Use And Conservation ..................................................................................................................................................... 34 3.3.1 Better Water Utilisation and Regulatory Measures ............................................................................................................... 34 3.3.2 Protection of Water Resources .............................................................................................................................................. 35 3.3.3 Public awareness and education ............................................................................................................................................ 35 3.4 Economic and financial issues .................................................................................................................................................... 36 3.4.1 Achieving development goals................................................................................................................................................ 36 3.4.4 Environmental and economic sustainability .......................................................................................................................... 36 3.4.5 Establish a Financial regime to sustain services.................................................................................................................... 37 3.4.6 Social Aspects of Water Supply ............................................................................................................................................ 37 3.5 Legislative and regulatory framework ...................................................................................................................................... 38 3.5.1 Legal ownership of water resources in accordance with the Constitution ............................................................................ 38 3.5.2 Establishment of an effective regulatory regime ................................................................................................................... 38 3.5.3 The resolution of water disputes............................................................................................................................................ 39 3.6 Institutions and Community Participation ............................................................................................................................... 39 3.6.1 General institutional objectives ............................................................................................................................................. 39 3.6.2 Water Resources Management Institutions ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.6.3 Regulatory institutions........................................................................................................................................................... 40 3.6.4 Service delivery institutions including rural water supply services ...................................................................................... 40 3.6.5 Policy and Strategy Unit ........................................................................................................................................................ 41 3.7 Institutional capacity building and human resources .............................................................................................................. 41 3.7.1 Training for competence........................................................................................................................................................ 41 3.7.2 Establishment of human resources development standards................................................................................................... 42 3.7.3 Programmes for Professional Development .......................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER FOUR.................................................................................................................................................... 43 4.1 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER FIVE....................................................................................................................................................... 44 5.1 Glossary of Terms........................................................................................................................................................................ 44 7 INTRODUCTION Namibia is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa and the country’s water resources are extremely fragile. The problems associated with the resource base are compounded by the inheritance of a water management regime designed in the pre-independence era to serve the political, economic and social priorities of those then in power, and underpinned by a Water Law suited to a water-rich environment. In view of these circumstances, the need for a new policy framework for water resources management in Namibia has been recognised at the highest levels of government since Independence in 1990. In 1998, the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) decided to initiate a Water Resources Management Review [See Box on Page 8]. The review was tasked with taking stock of the existing arrangements for managing Na mibia’s water resources and the services that draw upon them. The Review was then in a position to take a fresh, progressive look at these arrangements. It noted the recent advan ces and initiatives in water resource manage ment that have been made both in Namibia and elsewhere. On this basis, the Review was able to recommend a set of new approaches and enhancements to address the contempo rary challenges Namibia is facing in conserv ing its limited and vulnerable resource base and extending reliable water services to its people. In keeping with the thematic areas identified for special examination in the Re view, the policy framework is based upon pol icy principles in key areas. The rationale for the framework is first explored in the context of Namibia’s particular physical setting and the legacy of the pre-independence era. In ad dition, current trends in Namibia's develop ment specifically relating to water resources management are examined, including those that apply to the issue of international waters. The focus on specific themes should not obscure the fact that effective water re sources management in Namibia is fundamen tal to social well being and economic progress. In social terms, there is still a vital need to rec tify the injustice and inadequacy of earlier policies, which deprived the country’s ma jority population of access to reliable water supplies and inhibited productive and sustain able use of the resource. It is also important to ensure water security, and to sustain supplies to urban centres while extending services in rural areas. In economic terms Namibia is highly dependent on its natural resource base for its principal productive activities: mining, agri culture, pastoralism, fishing and wildlife based tourism as well as urban supplies and manufacturing. Water is therefore the single most important across-the-board contributor to the country’s development prospects; con versely, its vulnerability and inadequate man agement constitute the country’s single most important development constraint. The urgency to develop infrastructure imposed by the rapid expansion in water use in Namibia is of great concern. Already there are signs of environmental degradation and that the country’s renewable and non renewable water supplies are being depleted. In this regard, the sustainable development of the country and consequently the well-being of all Namibians, now and in the future, de pend on the development of a new policy of integrated water resources management and the successful implementation of its recom mendations. 8 The Namibian Water Resources Management Review (NWRMR) The Namibian Water Resources Management Review (NWRMR) was launched in March 1998 by President Sam Nujoma. The Review has been funded by the GRN, the World Bank, Government of Federal Republic of Germany through GTZ, UNDP and FAO. The Review’s purpose is to make recommendations that will enable Namibia: To achieve equitable access to, and the sustainable development of, freshwater resources by all sec tions of the population especially the rural and urban poor, in order to promote long-term social and economic development. The Review’s underpinning rationale was that water in Namibia is subject to so many pressures that it must in future be regarded as a limited and vulnerable resource whose use must accord with principles of social equity, economic effi ciency and environmental sustainability. In pursuit of its overall objective, the Review has: • undertaken an examination of current water resources management practices; • defined key issues and challenges; • undertaken extensive technical reviews of thematic areas; and • initiated a process of participatory discussion on possible changes to the current regime with stakeholders throughout Namibia, notably at regional level. The policy framework proposed by the Review is the product of the entire Review process. It draws substantively upon the thematic reviews in technical areas, which have provided the Review with its own guiding framework. The themes selected for review were as follows: Strategic Water Resources Assessment Shared Watercourses Water Use and Conservation, Economics and Financing, Legislation and Regulation Institutions and Community Participation, Human Resources Development In the light of the need for effective implementation of the anticipated changes in the existing water resources manage ment regime, institutional reform and human resources development were given the highest priority, alongside propo sals for changes in the laws affecting water ownership, equity and optimal use. The elaboration of this policy framework owes a great deal to the guidance of the Task Force created to steer the Re view process. In keeping with the accepted view that water is a resource on which the entire human family depends for its many social and economic activities, as does the environment itself, the membership of the Task Force is both multisectoral and intersectoral. The Task Force is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development (MAWRD). It includes representatives from eight Ministries; nine other government entities including the National Planning Commission and the Office of the Prime Minister; non-governmental entities including unions, churches and mines; academic and professional organisations; and major donors to the Review. Dur ing the course of its work, the Review has conducted a number of workshops to which technical experts and other stakeholders, especially those at regional level, have made important contributions. The development of this Policy Framework, and of other products of the Review, is the work of the Review team. This is a multidisciplinary technical team comprising Namibian specialists, for whom the Review process has itself been a learning and capacity-building exercise. The structure of the Review and its activity has therefore been designed to cap ture national and local perspectives and build capacity for implementation of whatever new policies and strategies em erge and are approved at Cabinet level. Their work has been supplemented, where appropriate, with international tech nical expertise and assistance. 9 Sector Reform Process Water sector reform should be an on going process (See Cycle below). Policy de velopment is a dynamic activity that needs to take account of changes in society and tech nology. The development of policy needs to follow through into a review of current legisla tion and institutional arrangements if the pol icy is to be implemented. Legislation and the general regulatory environment must enable the policy to be implemented. Following the review of policy and legislation, it is imperative that policy is im plemented in order to achieve the development objectives of the government. Lack of imple mentation leads to disillusionment and an undermining of the status and authority of government. It is therefore important that pol icy is realistic and implementable. A continuous process of monitoring and evaluation of policy and the sector in gen eral needs to be undertaken in order to ensure that the government's objectives continue to be met. If necessary policy should be amended. Structure of The document This document is structured in three parts: Chapter 1 provides background to the Namibian water resources situation. It de scribes the natural water resources available and how these have been developed and uti lised to date. Chapter 2 sets out the policy of the Namibian Government with regards to water resources development, utilisation, manage ment and protection. Chapter 3 outlines objectives and strat egies for the implementation of the policy. Water sector reform cycle Policy development Review legislation & institutional arrangements Monitor & review Implement 10 CHAPTER ONE 1.1 Water: a fragile national resource Namibia lies along the south-western coast of Africa, and is bordered by Angola and Zambia in the north, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the east, and South Africa to the south. It occupies a vast area of 824,272 square kilo metres. With a population of around 1.6 mil lion, Namibia is therefore one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. Namibia as already mentioned is sub-Saharan Africa’s driest country because roughly 90% of its area consists of desert, arid and sub-arid land. In light of the above and given that over 70% of the population are subsistence farmers and their livelihood is thus gained in circum stances of extreme harshness and stress. Water is fundamental to all social and economic activities, in Namibia as elsewhere. Guaranteeing access to this essential resource to all Namibians, to satisfy both their basic survival and health needs, and to support the whole range of productive activities that con tribute to the country’s development -- from subsistence agriculture and livestock herding to sophisticated industrial and manufacturing industries -- is highly challenging. There are a number of special constraining characteristics about the natural resource in Namibia, and the unique configuration of these characteristics compounds the social, economic and envi ronmental challenges facing the country. 1.1.1 Constraining characteristics of Namibia's water resources • The first characteristic is that the only perennial rivers to which Namibia has access lie on its northern and southern borders and are shared with neighbour ing countries. More than 70% of the population lives in the rural areas and a considerable proportion is dependent on the Kunene and Kavango watercourses or on boreholes, which they recharge. The sources of both these rivers lie in Angola. The northern border follows the Kunene River in the extreme north-west, and the Kavango River, Zambezi River and Kwando/Linyanti/Chobe River sys tem along part of its north-eastern stretch. The country’s only other peren nial source, the Orange River, forms the southern border with South Africa. The capital city and seat of Government, Windhoek, is in the centre of the coun try, far from these rivers. The fact that all the perennial rivers to which Namibia has access are shared with neighbouring states (see Section 1.2.2 on Page 14) means that international agreements are required regarding their use and man agement, adding a political and diplo matic dimension to water resources management. Meanwhile the national population is growing at a rate of about 3% a year, whilst urban centres are growing at a rate of over 5% a year, and social and economic development needs and demands are therefore imposing ever greater pressures on these shared water sources. • The second constraining characteristic is that annual average rainfall is low. It ranges from virtually zero along the coast to a maximum of 700 mm in the extreme north-east. More significantly, it is highly variable, both between climatic zones and within them. In addition, Na mibia’s high temperatures and clear skies mean that the rate of evaporation is very high. Surface runoff and ground water recharge are minimal and there can be no certainty that dams designed to store runoff will have filled ad equately following the rainy season. Fur thermore, drought is common, confront 11 ing the country with continuous, year-in, year-out risk to its water security. • The third characteristic in this category concerns alternative sources of surface water to perennial rivers. Since perennial rivers are far from the main urban cen tres where demand is highest, Namibia relies heavily on the runoff generated in its internal river basins, all of which flow for only short periods of time fol lowing heavy rainfall. These are there fore described as ‘ephemeral’ rivers. Flows in the principal ephemeral rivers – the Fish and the Auob in the south, the Nossob and its tributaries in the south east, the Omaruru, Kuiseb and Swakop in the west, the Omatako in the north east – are highly variable. However, these ‘ephemeral’ systems furnish the runoff that fills a key set of public water supply dams in the central area of the country, many small private farm dams and also recharges important alluvial aquifers. The ephemeral rivers therefore constitute an important lifeline for many people throughout the country, provid ing 22% 1 of the national water supply, and maintaining important plant and animal ecosystems. • The fourth characteristic is Namibia’s dependency on groundwater, in both shallow alluvial and deeper aquifers. In the recent past, especially since the last period of acute drought in the mid 1990s, increasing dependency has turned into absolute reliance. Groundwater re sources are providing the principal buf fer against annual drought and in some instances are being progressively overu tilized. In addition, with no effective control over pollution to groundwater, strategic aquifers are threatened with degradation. In the more arid, western 1 Source: WCE, 2000 part of the country, groundwater held in the alluvial aquifers underlying the eph emeral streams provides the only reli able source of water, but the recharge process related to these alluvial aquifers is still only partially understood. Many alluvial aquifers are at present used be yond their "sustainable/safe yield" limits abstraction exceeds recharge. In some other parts of the country where groundwater resources are critical to supply, for example in the north-eastern Kalahari area, there is limited under standing of the flow systems. In yet other areas where irrigated agriculture is practised from groundwater sources, there is little effective control or protec tion of the resources and doubts must be raised about the wisdom of using such a precious resource for water-intensive ac tivities. • A further constraining feature of Na mibian groundwater is that it is highly saline over large areas of the north where the majority of the population lives. Over 400,000 people – one-quarter of the country’s population – are entirely dependent on surface water for domestic and agricultural supplies, and on renew able wetland resources on surface water, because of the high salinity of ground water. Traditionally, the majority of this population relied on seasonal and eph emeral flows, which until the relatively recent past provided a vulnerable but usually sufficient supply. Today, popula tion growth, apparent climatic change, and environmental degradation have al tered the situation to the point where naturally occurring surface supplies are seriously inadequate and vulnerable to pollution. 12 There are therefore many inherent constraints – hydrological and hydrogeological – to util ising Namibia’s water resource base, whose specific configuration presents a unique set of challenges namely the reliance on ephemeral flows and their extreme variability; the limited and erratic annual recharge of groundwater; and persistent threat of drought. The varia bility and vulnerabilities of rainfall, catchment and aquifer conditions over the whole country therefore present a major challenge to the management of the resource base. Most of these characteristics are fundamental and can not be negotiated. Within Namibia’s borders, the resource base is definitively limited and finite. The only other possible additional freshwater resource is desalinated seawater, which could be considered as a viable option, solely for supplying to coastal towns in future. 1.1.2 International watercourses: rights and obligations Namibia’s perennial rivers – the Kunene in the north-west, the Kavango and the Zambezi (including the Kwando / Linyanti / Chobe) in the far north-east, and the Orange in the south – are shared with other states. These rivers, or part of their flow, constitute national boundar ies of Namibia and other riparian states i.e. states, which share these international river basins. The sources of all these rivers lie upstream of Namibia, and ten countries altogether par ticipate in these rivers' basins: Angola, Bot swana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Na mibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Namibia is therefore dependent on its neighbours for the quantity and quality of these rivers’ flow, particularly on South Af rica, Zambia and Angola. The latter is also the source of the seasonal Cuvelai system. Namibia therefore needs to be in a position to negotiate the sharing of water flows and guar antee the protection of agreed water quantity and quality for downstream neighbours. These rivers constitute an important source of supply for the relatively high number of popu lation living near or along their banks, espe cially in the north. It is estimated that shared rivers currently provide 34 percent 2 of the water consumed in Namibia. In light of Namibia’s dependence on shared watercourses, good co-operation with riparian neighbours is an extremely important component of water-related policy and its im plementation. The work of joint international commissions needs to be supported at the highest political level. Technical and scientific groundwork for proper understanding of the shared water resources needs to be encour aged. Agreement needs to be reached on the obligation of each riparian country to ensure that the water quality and quantity, and the duration and timing of flows, required to meet the domestic and ecological requirements of downstream users and habitats are maintained. There are six specific international agree ments and permanent commissions in place to which Namibia is party. The most important of these are with Angola on the Kunene River (regulating activities such as the construction of dams and other infrastructure), and with Angola and Botswana relating to the entire Okavango River Basin (an environmental as sessment and the development of an integrated management plan). A permanent water com mission with South Africa regulates ‘matters of mutual concern’; however Namibia has not participated in the negotiations between Leso tho and South Africa, regarding abstraction from the headwaters of the Orange River. There are as yet no formal agreements con cerning the Cuvelai and Zambezi River basin systems. 2 Source: WCE, 2000 13 The Namibian Government has signed, ratified and acceded to numerous international protocols and Conventions concerning water, notably those designed to protect the envi ronment. These include: • the Zambezi River System Action Plan (ZACPLAN); • the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigable Uses of International Wa tercourses; • the International Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR); and • the SADC Protocol on Shared Water courses. Among the challenges facing any water related policy component concerning interna tional watercourses is the need to familiarise actual and potential stakeholders at all levels of society, especially at community level, of the rights and responsibilities of Namibia in the context of shared waters. To reach the ne cessary compromises between human re quirements, economic priorities, commercial interests and environmental integrity requires patient, good-spirited and well-informed nego tiations. Infrastructural and human resources capacity to carry out these activities in an ef fective manner need to be created in the coun try. 1.2. The need for reform In addition to the issues above, there are social and political issues related to water resources management in Namibia, which need to be urgently addressed as a result of the skewed priorities of the apartheid colonial era. Namibia inherited an administrative structure designed to serve the overall politi cal, economic and social priorities of the Apartheid State that was in power. The poli cies pursued by the apartheid era government created one of the most unequal societies in the world. The richest – predominantly white – 10% of the society earned more than 65% of the income, leaving only 35% for the remain ing – mainly black – population. The same biased distribution of the benefits of the coun try's resources is echoed in water services. Un til Independence, the water needs of commer cial farmers, key municipal centres, mines and industrial centres were accorded a high pri ority in public spending. The farming and domestic needs of the country’s majority black population, especially the 70% living in rural (communal farming) areas primarily in the north, were largely neglected. In 1990, it was estimated that 50% of the rural population had no access to a reliable source of safe drinking water. The existing law (namely the South African Water Act No. 54 of 1956) and the regulatory regime it underpinned similarly re flected a policy of support to the same elite social and economic interests. Ownership of land was regarded as conferring exclusive right to the use of water resources located on or under such land. The development of these water resources was largely unregulated by the state with the notable exception of ground water control areas. The entire institutional framework for the development and manage ment of water resources and the provision of water services, including the functions of li censing, pricing and subsidy provision, served the same set of priorities. 1.2.1 Important changes since independ ence Since Independence, various initiatives have been undertaken to address the injustices and inadequacies of past water resources and services policy. The Namibian Constitution, adopted in 1990, paves the way for post apartheid strategies, policies and laws de signed to address fundamental and persistent structural inequities. A parallel process of pub 14 lic sector reform is being introduced to pro mote efficiency, cost-effectiveness and finan cial sustainability. The most important new initiative re lated to water is the Water Supply and Sanita tion Sector Policy (WASP), approved by the Cabinet in 1993. The Policy explicitly em phasises that: ‘The equitable improvement of services should be a result of the combined efforts of the government and the users based on community involvement, participation and mutual responsibility’. The intention was that implementation would be overseen by an intersectoral Water Supply and Sanitation Co ordination Committee (WASCO). This com mittee is comprised of representatives from water-related Ministries. Since the introduction of WASP, rural water supplies in communal areas have been expanded to meet the domestic and livestock requirements of the majority black farming population. By 1998, access to safe water in rural areas had risen from 51% in 1991 to 65% of the population. The emphasis on community manage ment of water supplies is in keeping with other public sector reforms currently underway in Namibia. The evolution of the public sector is now guided by the principle of progressive decentralisation of service delivery and man agement to regional and community level and full stakeholder participation. In future, com munities are to be enabled to choose – with due regard for environmental needs and avail able resources – the type and level of service delivery acceptable to them. Another major change is the com mercialisation of bulk water supply to major urban and industrial centres and some com mercial farms especially those that use irriga tion. Bulk water supply was transferred by statute in 1998 from the Ministry for Agricul ture, Water and Rural Development to a lim ited liability state-owned water utility com pany, Namibia Water Corporation Ltd. (NamWater). Here, too, a key policy principle of public sector reform within Namibia has been advanced, namely the reduction of gov ernment involvement in the actual operation and delivery of services where bodies operat ing on a commercial basis can introduce effi ciency and effectiveness, reduce wastage, and extend the use of valuable public funds. How ever, there remain a number of issues, which require resolution including the ownership of water services assets and the establishment of a suitable framework for the regulation of such bodies as NamWater. 1.2.2 International norms and their impli cations for the Namibian context The development of policy in Namibia reflects water resources management princi ples and ideas, which have emerged interna tionally during the 1990s. These concepts were first fully articulated internationally at the United Nations Conference on the Envi ronment and Development (UNCED), popu larly known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Chapter 18 of Agenda 21, the key document of the Earth Summit, called for a new approach to water resources management, an approach based on respect for the value of water, and on principles of sustainability, social equity, and environmental integrity. Since the Earth Summit, international consensus concerning the new approach has been reinforced in various international and regional forums (in which Namibia has par ticipated), for example at the International Conference on Water and the Environment held in Dublin in January 1992. 15 The Dublin Principles were formulated as fol lows: • Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, de velopment and the environment; • Water resources development and management should be based on a par ticipatory approach, involving users, planners and policy-makers at all lev els; • Women play a central part in the pro vision, management and safeguarding of water; and • Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recog nised as an economic good. These principles have been subse quently endorsed at a number of post-Rio Ministerial meetings and in several water related UN forums. Namibia forms part of the international consensus surrounding these core principles. The Namibian Government regards the ‘Dublin principles’ as an appropriate basis for the development of national policy. This Water Policy has, however, taken the process a step further by developing detailed policy principles to address the different facets of wa ter resources management, development, utilisation and protection. These are fully el aborated in Part II of this document. 1.3 Current management of water re sources and water services 1.3.1 Management of the resource base 1.3.1.1 Managing risk Management of the water resource base has to be effective if overall resource se curity and sustainability are to be assured. The main objective of sound resource management is to ensure that freshwater resources, if used, will still be available in the future and if de pleted, can be substituted without compromis ing overall environmental integrity. In Namibia, it is very difficult to ensure sustaina bility given the uncertainties associated with hydrological and hydrogeological systems. Water resource management in the Namibian context is, above all, an exercise in risk management. In Namibia, the problems of water re sources management are sharpened not only by the inherent variability and vulnerability of the resource base, but also because of the leg acy of the Apartheid water regime. Namibia has been successful in mobilising major capi tal to manage hydrological risk and assure water security in the central area of the coun try. One question which needs to be addressed is the degree to which there is scope to im prove management of the risk, and to extend services to underserved populations, through application of cost effective and appropriate solutions. More effective management and conservation of the resource base and of de mand is required as well as better enforcement of pollution regulations. A primary challenge in Namibia is to anticipate and manage water resources during prolonged periods of drought. It is imperative that there is a holistic approach to water re source management and other sectors effected by drought and floods such as food produc tion, relief and public health. 1.3.1.2 Information requirements A pre-condition of effective manage ment is an accurate understanding of the entire water environment. This requires specific knowledge of Namibia’s climatic, hydrologi cal and physical environments. An under 16 standing of all the processes involved, particu larly aquifer recharge, aquatic ecology and groundwater flows, is essential. At present there appear to be imbalances between the in formation and knowledge available, and the needs of those trying to manage the resource base in the interests of all Namibians. These imbalances are exacerbated by gaps in understanding the behaviour of some parts of the resource base as a result of lack of integration between data collection systems, the centralised character of water management institutions, and lack of interaction between institutions and other stakeholders at the level of individual catchment or aquifer. Equally, there are gaps in understanding the effects on the resource base of human interactions, such as discharges of effluents from towns, mines and industries, and a lack of understanding of appropriate solutions. 1.3.1.3 Basin management The identification and integration of all issues relating to the resource base is essential both for reasons of efficiency, and to address the socio-economic and environmental chal lenges Namibia faces. For this reason, Na mibia is moving towards the adoption of an integrated, basin-scale framework for water resources assessment and management. Such a framework will take into account all the vari ables - physical, climatic, ecological and hu man - which affect both the quantity and quality of the resource. Altogether, 24 individual basins can be delimited which fall within seven main group ings. Within this inter-basin framework it is possible to identify and isolate particular water resource management issues. This is important not only in scientific, but in political and eco nomic terms, since the technical tools and ad ministrative structures to address them can then be more clearly focussed. 1.3.1.4 Water use patterns It is important to take into account changing patterns of water use. In 1999 total water use in Namibia was close to 297 million cubic metres. Water use patterns need to be factored into decisions regarding the abstrac tion of raw water and its allocation between different types of users who are competing for the same resources. The table below indicates the proportion of water, which is currently used by different sectors and sub-sectors in Namibia. At present, irrigated agriculture ab sorbs an extremely high proportion of water. Table: Water users 3 Sector % water use Agriculture: Irrigation Livestock 45.8 26.0 Urban domestic supplies 19.2 Mining 4.5 Industry 1.9 Rural communities 1.9 Tourism 0.8 It is clear that the patterns of use for which water resources were developed in the past continue to predominate. Any changes in allocation between these different types of use has to take into account a wide range of fac tors. Current information gathering, analysis and dissemination are structured overwhelm ingly to serve the industrial, municipal and commercial farming engines of economic de velopment, not the basic survival, health and productive needs of relatively poor rural and 3 These figures were taken from the "Analysis of Present and Future Water Demand" report by Windhoek Consulting Engi neers, 2000 17 urban Namibians who constitute the majority of the population, many of whom are depend ent on wetland resources such as fish and reeds to meet basic needs. 1.3.1.5 Institutions managing the resource base The key institution concerned with as sessment and management of the resource base is the Directorate of Resource Manage ment in the Department of Water Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Rural Development (MAWRD). The principal water resource divisions in the Directorate are the Hydrology, Geohydrology and Water Envi ronment Divisions. The latter deals with water quality, pollution control, ecological and tech nical research. The Law Administration Divi sion is responsible for administering the regu latory regime concerning abstraction permits, prospecting, licensing of boreholes where ap propriate, and other matters related to abstrac tion and allocation of the resource. The Plan ning Division performs inter alia strategic planning and is supposed to have been the di vision responsible for issues of international waters. However, until 1990 the considerable techni cal expertise of the Department of Water Af fairs, was directed towards servicing the water needs of the Apartheid State, resulting in an inaccessible centralised bureaucracy in which the needs of the people on the ground, particu larly the black majority, were not taken into account. Neither the institutional structure nor the ap proach of the Department allowed ordinary people to participate in decisions that directly affected their lives. This exclusion was made worse by high levels of illiteracy amongst the majority of the population, which prevented them from gaining access to much of the in formation held by DWA. In the post-Apartheid Namibia it is thus im perative that the institutions with which we work and the framework of rules within which they operate are critical to the achievement of our vision of providing enough water for all while preserving some water for future gen erations particularly in the face of increasing water scarcity. The new institutions, as proposed by the Re view, will have to be developmental in nature, informed by technical and social consider ations, structured to promote the values and intent of the Constitution and able to adopt a flexible approach to water management. These institutional arrangements are re viewed later in Chapter 3, Section 3 of this Water Policy. 1.3.2 Management of water services The development and management of water services in Namibia have focused on building and running supply delivery systems to meet water needs of various users. These structures and systems include – at the sophis ticated end of the scale – large dams, canals, major pipelines, pumping stations, and water treatment works; and at the community or pri vate commercial farm level, smaller mecha nised and non-mechanised installations such as small catchment dams, gravity flow branch pipelines, pumps, and boreholes. These ser vices have been heavily subsidised, on the ba sis that water is a free natural resource and is fundamental to all areas of social and eco nomic life. Cost recovery and economic effi ciency have not been objectives in the past, therefore it is imperative that they (cost recov ery and economic efficiency) are accorded corresponding importance by the Government. 18 1.3.2.1 Water demand management The danger of the former ‘supply side’ approach was that it did not adequately recog nise water as a finite resource that needs to be conserved. Today there is a growing recogni tion that in environments where water is scarce, every effort should be made to control utilization. Wastage is costly and environmen tally unsound. In Namibia, the supply side approach has been applied until very recently to meet economic development needs – those of towns, mines and industrial centres – while neglecting the small-scale watering needs of subsistence farmers who constitute the ma jority of the population. There has been little regard for the re source base and the environment. The applica tion of the riparian principle (where owners of land on which water rises or through which it passes have control over it), has resulted in a weak regulatory regime over a large propor tion of the water resources of the country. The Government advocates a new ap proach emphasising the management of de mand for water and water conservation. Water conservation includes the need to con trol pollution and minimise water wastage. Demand management uses a range of regula tory, economic and technical measures to achieve its objective of more efficient water utilisation. Effective measures include eco nomic instruments (particularly tariff struc tures), comprehensive metering, standard set ting, public awareness raising, environmental awareness, improved water efficient technol ogy particularly in irrigation techniques, and enabling legislation. The implementation of these approaches will require the adaptation of institutions and legal reform. In Namibia steps have already been taken to initiate these pro cesses. Implementation of a water demand management strategy began in Windhoek in 1994 and has succeeded in decreasing the total consumption by more than 37%. Through the re-use of water, abstractions from conven tional sources were lower in 1997 than in 1987, despite a population increase from 105,000 to 202,000 over the period. 1.3.2.2 Water services institutions The institutions involved in water ser vices in Namibia include government (as pol icy maker, regulator and rural service supplier) and private suppliers. Government bodies in clude various Ministries other than MAWRD, such as the Ministry of Health and Social Ser vices, the Ministry of Environment and Tour ism and the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication. Private suppliers are princi pally the parastatal NamWater, and privately owned services on some commercial farms and mines. NamWater supplies bulk water to mu nicipalities, local authorities and many mines. The municipalities supplied by NamWater are responsible for retailing the water through piped systems to consumers, and for mainte nance and management of the system and for tariff collection. NamWater also supplies lar ger irrigation schemes from dams such as Hardap Dam and Naute Dam and from per ennial rivers. Irrigation water is at present sub sidised, but the trend is towards full cost re covery. Most commercial farmers rely on their own privately controlled boreholes and small dams. In areas of the country designated Groundwater Control Areas, the sustainable yield of an area is determined by the DWA, and water abstraction is controlled by regula 19 tory mechanisms (permits and licenses), and requires regular information feedback from permit holders. In the communal farming areas, the supplier of water services (any water point which is an improved traditional source) is the DRWS. This includes areas using pipelines in those parts of the north where groundwater is saline. Elsewhere, the predominant source is groundwater (mostly via diesel- or windmill driven boreholes) and therefore consumers draw directly from the resource. They are only subject to licensed regulation when irrigating more than one hectare in control areas. Nam Water also directly supplies some rural com munities, health clinics and schools. In 1997, in keeping with the gov ernment policy of decentralising management functions to regional and community level, approval was given to implement a policy of Community-Based Management (CBM) of rural water supplies in accordance with WASP. Over a period of 10 years, responsi bility for managing and paying for water ser vices will be progressively devolved to Water Associations and Water Point Committees based on discrete installations. Water Point Committees will be recognised in law and will be able to control consumers’ access to water points and organise payment for water use. 1.3.3 The existing law and policy frame work The present legal framework for water in Namibia applies the rules of the well watered countries of Europe to the arid cli matic conditions of Namibia. A number of laws have an impact on water resources in Namibia. The primary legislation relating to ownership, allocation, rights to access, and management of the resource is the Water Act 54 of 1956. This legislation was designed for South Africa and selectively applied to what was then South West Africa. The existing le gal regime is therefore not suited to either the country’s hydrological conditions or to the political, social and economic realities of the post-apartheid era. The Act distinguishes between ‘public’ and ‘private’ water, vesting ‘the sole and ex clusive use and enjoyment of private water in the owner of the land on which such water is found’ (Section 5). By basing abstraction rights over ‘private’ water mainly on land ownership (the riparian principle), the Water Act effectively excludes non-land owners – comprising the majority of the population – from having adequate and equitable access to water. The Act perpetuates discrimination against the black majority since the apartheid era resulted in most of the land belonging to the white minority. The concept of ‘private water’ is not only inconsistent with the Consti tution, but also with Namibia’s national devel opmental goals, especially the achievement of social justice. It is for this reason that the Na mibian Government intends to replace this Act, and update its entire regulatory frame work for managing water resources. In 1971, legal provision was made to bring groundwater under state control by es tablishing ‘water control areas’ by government declaration. No one may sink, deepen or alter a borehole or well in such an area without a permit. The implementation of this permit sys tem is currently inadequate: there is no mechanism for monitoring the volumes of water abstracted other than the permit re quirement for feedback on volumes pumped, nor are inspections carried out on a systematic basis. A variety of legal instruments cover issues of water quality and pollution control. These include the Water Act, the Public Health Act, Municipal Drainage Regulations, 20 the Model Sewerage and Drainage Regula tions (1996), and the draft Pollution Control and Waste Management Bill (1999). There are various gaps and short comings in the current regulatory framework for water services. For example, water quality standards have not been established and there are no regulations to prevent adverse envi ronmental impacts or health hazards. The "environmental reserve" will determine the quality and quantity of water as well as dur ation and timing of flow required to ensure that the needs of aquatic ecosystems, are sus tainably met. Enforcement needs strengthen ing as cases against polluters rarely reach the courts. In addition, penalties are low and therefore do not act as effective pollution de terrents. Other aspects of the legal framework governing the management of the resource base and water services which need review include: • the licensing system for prospecting for wa ter; • the law establishing and governing the op erations of NamWater; • the regulations governing irrigation permits and their enforcement; • the pricing of raw water (raw water is cur rently regarded as free in law and practice); 21 CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Guiding water policy principles 2.1.1 The need for an integrated approach All aspects of water resources manage ment and the provision of water services need to acknowledge the integrity of the hydrologi cal cycle. Water resources and their manage ment impact directly on the national social and economic framework. This notion of ‘integra tion’ is a central tenet of the Namibian National Water policy and is consistent with recent international and Southern Africa re gional developments. The key elements of Integrated Water Re sources Management (IWRM) are as follows: 2.1.1.1 Water as an essential resource Water is essential to life, and adequate supply of safe drinking water is a basic human need, the provision of which is a key policy imperative. However, concern about water must extend far beyond concerns for survival and health. Water is essential to all food pro duction and agricultural activity including livestock, and plays a part in every industrial process – notably mining, in the case of Na mibia. Water is essential to the eco-systems of the natural environment, on which all social and economic activity depends. Of particular importance are surface aquatic ecosystems and wetlands, and their associated natural re sources on which so many poor rural people depend. In order to allocate water effectively between social, economic and environmental uses, especially where resources are fragile as in Namibia, the chain of water management from source to consumer must be regarded holistically including its natural state, abstrac tion, allocation and quality. Balancing these demands is a complex and sensitive process, and compromises inevitably have to be made. These compromises are bound to meet with resistance from the champions of different demands as against another. These conflicting demands need to be effectively mediated. It is essential to establish an environmental and basic needs reserve, after which the social and economic development priorities must be de termined and the remaining water allocated accordingly. 2.1.1.2 Functional and effective management units A holistic view of the resource base necessitates integration of land- and water related activities. This view requires that water resources management be carried out across the full range of the resource - including aqui fers, catchments, sub-basins and wetlands and be integrated into the administrative and po litical framework. In Namibia’s case, many of its aquifers, basins and sub-basins are shared with neighbouring countries, and within the country between different administrative units. Lack of hydrological, ecological and hydrogeological data results in progress to wards the application of an integrated ap proach to water resources management within Namibia and jointly with neighbouring count ries being progressive but gradual. 2.1.1.3 Sectoral co-ordination Integrated management implies a very strong degree of co-ordination between all the sectors involved in or dependent on the use of water. Water-related activities have been po 22 sitioned within specific Ministries: the Minis try of Agriculture, Water and Rural Develop ment, the Ministry of Health and Social Ser vices, the Ministry of Regional, Local Gov ernment and Housing, the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Ministry of Envi ronment and Tourism. Most of the responsi bilities for developing and managing the re source have been located in the Department of Water Affairs within the MAWRD. These include the construction and maintenance of dams, pipelines, pumping stations, boreholes, treatment plants, and resource management functions such as hydrology, geohydrology, water quality and pollution control and aquatic ecological research. Various water-associated functions have been distributed between a number of the Ministries mentioned above, as well as to autonomous entities (principally NamWater) and municipal authorities. Under these circumstances, manage ment of the resource and of water services has tended to be influenced by the interests of the different institutional structures. As the man agement, conservation and utilisation of the resource in all its applications needs to be planned in a co-ordinated fashion, all sectoral strands should be interwoven. However, inte grating the work of all the relevant institu tions, both within Namibia and between Na mibia and neighbouring countries, remains a challenge. 2.1.1.4 Integration of views and expectations Integration does not end, however, with the establishment of intersectoral and cross-border co-ordination among water re source professionals and institutions. The principle of equity demands that the views of all potential stakeholders be canvassed and their participation sought in the design and management of services and in decisions af fecting the management of water resources. The means to identify and address demands and expectations at all levels of society and administration, down to community level, also need to be integrated within the management framework. For this to happen, information concerning the resource and its management needs to be made widely available, in an open and transparent way. Public awareness about the variability, scarcity and value of water as well as about aquatic ecosystems needs to be increased and communication channels cre ated between resource managers, service pro viders and users, large and small. The assumption behind the commitment to IWRM is that if all these cross-cutting and multisectoral requirements are met and that integration occurs horizontally and vertically within the management framework, a regime which is much more equitable, efficient and sustainable will emerge. This is the ideal to which the Namibian Government is commit ted. 2.1.2 Basic principles and their implications At the heart of the policy framework for the equitable, efficient, and sustainable man agement of water resources is a set of basic principles against which all water-related deci sions need to be tested. These basic principles reflect a central core of principles expressed in the Namibian Constitution, and in existing na tional water-related policies, particularly the Water and Sanitation Sector Policy (WASP). They also reflect core principles agreed at the international level, notably in Agenda 21, the key document of the 1992 Earth Summit, and re-affirmed at subsequent international and regional meetings concerning water in which Namibia has participated. 23 The principles are as follows: 1. Ownership: Namibia’s limited and vul nerable water resources are an indivisible national asset, whose ownership is vested in the state on behalf of the whole society. 2. Equity: All Namibians shall have the right of access to sufficient safe water for a healthy and productive life. 3. Promotion of development: Namibia’s water resources should be utilized, developed and managed in such a way as to promote equitable and sustainable socio - economic development, without jeopardising the benefits and opportunities of future generations. 4. Economic value: The scarcity and vulnera bility of Namibia’s water resources require that their economic value be recognised, and that their abstraction, management, conserva tion and use is efficient and cost-effective. 5. Awareness and participation: The plan ning and management of Namibia’s water re sources and water services shall take place within a framework which facilitates aware ness and participation among all stakeholders at all levels. 6. Openness and transparency: Reliable water resource management information sys tems need to be developed and be accessible to the public. Institutions involved in the re sources management and provision of water services must be managed in an open and transparent way. 7. Decentralisation: The operational man agement of water resources and water services shall be decentralised to the lowest practicable level, focusing the role of the government on policy/standard setting, regulation and facilita tion. 8. Ecosystem values and sustainability: The management of water resources needs to har monise human and environmental require ments, recognising the role of water in sup porting the eco-system. 9. Integrated management and planning: Water resources form part of an inter connected natural system on which society depends. Management and planning of water resources shall be integrated across economic, environmental and social dimensions. As sound planning depends on a thorough know ledge of natural systems, the government is committed to the collection, analysis and man agement of information and ongoing research. 10. Clarity of institutional roles and ac countability: Institutional functions and roles need to be clearly identified with no overlap or conflicts. Policy and regulatory functions will be separated from management and oper ational functions. 11. Capacity building: Capacity building shall be a continuous process of institutional and human development at all levels of water resources management and will include the participation of public, private, NGO and community structures. 12. Shared watercourses: Namibia shall strive to promote equitable and beneficial use of international water courses, based on gener ally accepted principles and practices of inter national law. These basic principles are intended to provide a framework for the development of all water-related policies. They have implica tions for all areas of policy, the legal and regu latory regime, the management of the resource itself, and for management of water services. 24 Some have specific consequences, for exam ple the principle regarding ownership requires changes to the current Namibian water law. However, the principles should be seen as over-arching and generic to all water-related policy decision-making. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES Ownership Equity Promotion of Development Economic Value Awareness and Participation Openness and Transparency Decentralization Ecosystem values and sustainability Integrated Management and Planning Clarity of institutional roles and accounta bility Capacity Building Shared Watercourses 25 2.2. Detailed principles and objectives The principles above form the foundation of the detailed policy which is divided into the following thematic areas: • Water Resources Assessment Princi ples • Shared Watercources Principles • Water Use and Conservation Principles • Economic and Financial Principles • Legislative and Regulatory Principles • Institutional and Community Participa tion Principles, • Human Resources Development Prin ciples, Both the basic principles and the de tailed policy have been subject to a consulta tive process with key stakeholders, especially with Regional Governors and local council lors, in order to explore their implications and to ensure their smooth implementation on the ground. The detailed policy is presented below. 2.2.1 Water Resources Assessment Prin ciples 1. Integrated Information Systems: The collection and management of water re source information needs to be responsive to the particular needs of all users and con sumers of water at local and regional lev els and include ecological water require ments. This means not only filling current information gaps, particularly in highly populated regions, but also ensuring that information is geared to meet real needs and is readily accessible to the public as well as to officials and managers. A high quality of research must be maintained to obtain reliable and up-to-date information. 2. Public awareness: Public understanding needs to be developed about the unique constraints on Namibia’s water resources and their fragile nature in order to effec tively implement policy measures aimed at conserving the resource. Information and education campaigns need to be aimed at politicians, decision-makers, leaders of civil society, opinion-formers including the media, household managers, children, and the public at large. The regular dis semination of high quality information is essential for raising awareness. 3. Integrated water resources manage ment: The integrity of the water cycle must be respected in hydrological research and management approaches. Irrespective of who collects water-related information, all information has to be synthesised and analysed at basin/ catchment level. The re sults of the analysis will be used to inform local, regional and national planning initia tives and water-related decision-making, and for the regulation and use of the re source base. 4. Hydrological and ecological risk Man agement: Resource management systems (monitoring systems, water resource an alysis and applied research) will be better geared to dealing with the acute hydro logical, ecological and associated envi ronmental risks that Namibia faces. The variability and vulnerability of Namibia’s water resource base and the intense use to which it is subjected means that systems of resource management have to be aware of hourly and daily changes as well as to longer-term projections of resource avail ability and ecological sustainability. 26 2.2.2 Shared watercourses 1. Beneficial use: Rights in shared rivers as serted by Namibia will respect rights of upstream and downstream users in other countries, and the need for shared rivers to produce optimal benefit to all the riparian countries. 2. Institutional capacity: Namibia will de velop its institutional capacity to participate effectively and pro-actively in multilateral bodies and ongoing initiatives to regulate the development, conservation and management of shared water resources. 3. Respect for international law: In all in ternational negotiations regarding shared watercourses, Namibia shall promote re spect and adherence to generally accepted principles of international law governing relations between states, particularly with respect to international water law and sov ereignty of states. 4. Harmonisation of international and domestic legislation: Special effort will be made to harmonise domestic water legisla tion with the tenets of international water law and obligations in terms of shared riv ers. 5. Stakeholder participation: The right to consultation and co-ordination between all relevant sectors and stakeholders, includ ing basin communities affected by negotia tions and consultations occurring at the international level, will be respected. 6. Dispute resolution: Effective institutions are needed for the timely and pro-active settlement of disputes between Namibia and riparian neighbouring states. 2.2.3 Water Use and Conservation Princi ples 1. Integration: Integrated water planning will be adopted with an emphasis on de mand management and conservation as al ternatives to the construction of new infra structure. Water conservation planning and decision-making must integrate short and long-term economic, engineering, so cial, and environmental objectives of water resources management with a view to pro tecting a precious resource and its func tions. 2. Sustainable utilisation: The principle of sustainable utilisation shall be adopted to prevent waste and to ensure efficient utili sation of resources, including protection from depletion and pollution, with a view to contributing to the well-being of present and future generations. 3. Cost-effectiveness and flexibility: Cost effective and flexible policy instruments shall be adopted, such as improved valu ation, pricing, technical and incentive mechanisms, to conserve water; however subsidies for the provision of water sup plies to the very poor shall not be ex cluded. 4. Community participation and aware ness: The management of water resources and services shall provide for broad com munity involvement at all levels and shall be based on continuous education and awareness-building concerning the ben efits of water and wetland conservation practices and behaviour. 5. Precautionary environmental protec tion: The resource base shall be protected against any kind of contamination or pol lution which would render any part of it 27 unfit for human, economic and envi ronmental purposes. The protection regime shall be based on both regulatory and mar ket-based approaches to waste manage ment, applying the ‘precautionary’ princi ple (responsibility to take precautionary action when undertaking potentially dam aging activities) and the ‘polluter pays’ principle (polluter pays the cost of re medial action required). 6. Control of water quality: The control and monitoring of water quality so as to protect human health and the environment shall be regarded as an integral part of water quality management. Standards, proced ures and guidelines will be developed and implemented. 7. Access to information: Informed, partici patory planning and management of water resources will be optimised by providing access to relevant information (e.g. inven tories of water sources and supplies, regis ters of water uses and effluent discharges, records of water allocations and their utili sation) and acquisition of new information through research. 8. Development of new resources: The de velopment of new and alternative sources of water will be promoted, with special emphasis on wastewater re-use, water re cycling and rain water harvesting in order to promote water use efficiency and ensure that best-quality water is reserved for hu man needs. 9. Conservative approach: In the light of the limited knowledge currently available concerning the extent and nature of both surface and groundwater resources in Namibia, a conservative approach to fur ther allocation of water shall be adopted until more detailed information on the en tire resource base is available. 10. Research: Research to build greater understanding of water resources shall be actively promoted. 2.2.4 Economic and Financial Principles 1. Social equity and sustainable develop ment: Social equity, sustainable economic development and environmental steward ship will be entrenched in Namibia's water sector through a regulatory framework that will bestow a long-term stream of benefits to Namibia and Namibians, using eco nomic instruments, where appropriate, to foster economic activity, to implement policy actions, and to ensure sustainability. 2. Financial efficiency: Water resources management and water services shall be run according to principles of financial ef ficiency and sustainability. 3. Allocative efficiency: Water will be allo cated between and within uses so that its value in different uses is recognised and benefits to society maximised. All man agement and investment decisions will be subject to an economic and social Cost Benefit Analysis. 4. Productive efficiency: Water will be used in the most efficient and productive man ner with full consideration of all demand and supply options. 5. Tariff setting : Actual costs, envi ronmental degradation and opportunity costs will be taken into account in estab lishing tariff policies. 6. Equity: The pricing regime will take ac count of the social imperative to facilitate access of all Namibians to a minimum wa 28 water supply as a necessity, recognising that ‘ability to pay’ is constrained by low income. 7. Water demand management: Water de mand management will be given its proper emphasis alongside supply augmentation to maximise efficient use of available water resources. 2.2.5 Legislative and Regulatory Princi ples 1. Government as custodian of the nation’s water resources and regulator of re source use: Consistent with the mandate enshrined in Article 100 of the Constitu tion, the Government shall be the custo dian of the nation’s water resources and shall, as such, have original authority to regulate the abstraction and use of the na tion’s water resources and the disposal of wastes in them. 2. Right to minimum quantity of water: The right of every citizen to be able to ob tain, within reasonable distance from their place of abode, a quantity of water suffi cient to maintain life, health and produc tive activity will be respected in law. 3. Quality and quantity management: Regulatory regimes for managing water quality and quantity, and maintaining eco logical integrity and service-related stand ards and systems, will be recognised in law. 4. Factoring environmental considerations in decision-making: The need to protect the environment in general, and the aquatic ecosystems in particular, including their bio-diversity and the nation’s wetlands, will be factored into the allocation of water resources for use, including the disposal of waste, through the appropriate mecha nisms. These will include the prior as sessment of the environmental impacts of proposed water uses, under the circum stances dictated by the relevant legislation. 5. Basic rights of stakeholders: The new legislative framework for managing the nation’s water resources will uphold the basic rights of stakeholders to access Gov ernment-held information and data on the nation’s water resources, to participate in water-related decision-making, and to have access to water resources as provided for in the law. 6. Environmental Water Reserve: The leg islation will provide for determining an environmental water reserve for freshwater sources before they can be used to supply any other demand than domestic and sub sistence livestock watering. This require ment should be enforceable for any large scale water withdrawal. 7. Integrated management of water re sources: The new legislative framework for managing the nation’s water resources including shared domestic and interna tional rivers will ensure that such re sources are managed and developed in an integrated manner, i.e., by reflecting the interrelationship between surface water and groundwater, and between allocation of water resources for use and the protec tion of its quality from pollution. 8. Balancing equity and efficiency: In allo cating and re-allocating water resources for different and possibly competing uses, the need to ensure equity of access to the resource and, in particular, the need to re dress the effects of past racial and gender discrimination, will be given due promi nence. At the same time, efficiency of re 29 source use will be sought, through the ap propriate regulatory and financial mecha nisms, including the transferability of water rights under controlled conditions. 9. Water resources planning: The new leg islative framework for the management of the nation’s water resources will provide for the formulation of a National Water Master Plan, which shall constitute the frame of reference for all governmental decision-making in relation to the nation’s water resources. 10. Conservation of water resources: The re cycling of water, the re-use of wastewater and other conservation measures and tech nologies shall be encouraged through fi nancial support programmes, and regula tions required to protect public health and to promote safety. 11. Control of water pollution: Pollution of water resources from point-type sources, including the outfalls of municipal sewers, will be prevented or abated through permit and charging mechanisms. Permits will be tied to standards of effluent quality (and/or to water quality objectives for the receiv ing water resources). Regulatory measures for controlling pollution of water resources and, in particular, groundwater, from agri cultural runoff and drainage will also be provided for, by way of phased introduc tion. 12. Water demand management: Demand management will be effected through a combination of measures aimed at promot ing efficiency of water use, including charging for the use of water resources. Charging will be phased in gradually, and due regard shall be taken of equity con siderations in the setting of tariffs. 13. Protection of existing water rights: Ex isting water rights shall be recognised and protected, to the extent that actual benefi cial use is being made of water resources. Such rights shall be brought within the ambit of the new legislation within a rea sonable period of time following enact ment of the new statute, and the holders of recognised rights will enjoy the full pro tection of the law. 14. Water disputes: The legislative frame work will provide mechanisms for appro priate dispute resolution. 15. Enforcement: The legislative framework will provide for effective enforcement of laws and policies concerning water. 16. Incentives: The role of economic and fi nancial instruments as a means to enhance compliance with water policy objectives must be recognised in the water law and water-related regulations. 17. Legislative program: Given the inherent differences between water resources man agement and service delivery, priority at tention will be given to the drafting of a Water Bill for the management of the country’s water resources. A separate Wa ter Services Act will be prepared in due course, consistent with the water manage ment principles and approaches enshrined in the future Water Bill. In the interim, at tention will be given in the Water Bill to the priority requirements of community level services provision. 2.2.6 Institutions and Community Partici pation Principles 1. Accountability: The management of water resources and water-related institu 30 tions responsible for water services will be transparent and accountable. 2. Clarity of roles: The distinct roles of in stitutions involved in water resources management and the provision of water services will be defined and clearly estab lished. 3. Separation of roles: The roles of regula tory institutions, water resources manage ment institutions, and institutions for the management of water services will be separated and rationalised. 4. Stakeholder Participation: Institutions will be designed to facilitate the participa tion of all stakeholders relating to water, especially rural communities, and to facili tate feedback to high levels of government. 5. Cost-efficiency: Operation and service provision will be commercialised, where appropriate, in such a way as to introduce principles of cost-efficiency and commer cial performance, and will be monitored accordingly. 6. Decentralisation: Institutions should be structured so as to devolve decision making to the lowest appropriate adminis trative level, accompanied by the neces sary human and financial resources and training for effective implementation. 7. Knowledge generation: Management structures and institutions should be underpinned and informed by effective collection, management and analysis of in formation. Aquatic research will be ac tively encouraged. 8. Integration and co-ordination: Mecha nisms will be created for integration and co-ordination of institutions involved in water resources management and water services provision with all key water-user sectors. 2.2.7 Human Resources Development Principles 1. Access: The right to training and develop ment for all those engaged in managing water resources and services is acknow ledged, and entry barriers to training will be reduced. 2. Equal opportunities: Equal opportunities, and affirmative action towards those for merly disadvantaged by race, gender, dis ability, lack of previous opportunity for formal qualification, or any other form of discrimination, shall be promoted. 3. Community Based Management: Training and development for all those involved in the management of water resources and services must be undertaken in order to promote decentralisation, community based management and sustainability. 4. Institutional development: Institutional capacity development shall be implemented at all levels in ways that address the needs of both organisations and individuals. 5. Capacity-building: The development of an effective training infrastructure in all water-related occupations is essential for long-term capacity building, leading to a continuous process of Human Resources Development. 31 6. Collaboration: Collaboration between all sectors involved in water resources, water related services and development is critical to the development of human resources strategies. 7. Career progression: The need for career progression is recognised. Namibians en tering employment at a basic level must be able to progress through recognised study within the job through regular promotion. Skills acquired through working should form the basis for career progression and/or entrance to further educational and training institutions. 8. Academic training: Opportunities need to be provided for water resource profession als to obtain appropriate nationally and internationally recognised academic quali fications. 32 CHAPTER THREE Chapter 3 presents objectives and strategies for the implementation of the policies set out in Chapter 2. They are presented in the same categories as Chapter 2, namely: • Water Resources Assessment, • Shared Watercourses, • Water Use and Conservation, • Economic and Financial Issues, • Legislation and Regulations, • Institutional and Community Participa tion, and • Human Resources Development. 3.1 Water resources assessment New approaches to water resources as sessment are needed to correct current inad equacies in data management and to set a new strategic agenda for the future management of Namibia’s resource base. This will require both a long-term process of institutional strengthening and an immediate commitment to ensuring that information is accessible for use by the technical and scientific community, and by the public in general. Commitment is also needed to focused scientific research to generate reliable and appropriate information needed for proper management. 3.1.1 Implementation of integrated ap proaches to resource development Objective To ensure that efforts in monitoring and as sessing the water resources of Namibia are: • responsive to actual socio-economic de mands and trends; • used for effective regulation; • open and accessible to all; • integrated at the level of the hydrological cycle (including surface and groundwater), the natural spatial units (basins and aqui fers), and within the fabric of local and national economic activity. Strategy This requires a commitment to co-ordinate information at suitable levels and to provide a service to local, regional and national planning initiatives. At the core of this approach is the establishment of a hydro-environmental framework upon which socio-economic data can be overlaid. Geographic Information Sys tems are going to be key both in analysing spatial distributions – matching resources and needs – and in projecting impacts of economic development. 3.1.2 Managing hydrological risk and vulnerability Objective To develop systems of water resource man agement that can deal effectively with the ex treme hydrological risk and natural vulnera bility faced by Namibia. Strategy Together with a commitment to integrated ap proaches, this requires the deployment of a number of effective operational tools: real and near real-time monitoring, conjunctive use, enhanced recharge, aquifer-storage-recovery and source protection. 33 3.1.3 Enhancement of capacities Objective To ensure that the responsible institutions are capable of undertaking the information gather ing research, management, conservation and analysis functions required. Strategies Irrespective of any changes to institutional structures, the current divisions and units within DWA (as a resource manager and regu lator) will collaborate on data, applied re search and pilot studies with related depart ments, agencies and the private sector. In addi tion, the results of DWA’s work will be open and available to the public. Specific enhancements would include the fol lowing actions: • streamlining and standardisation of data collection; • integration of data through Geographic Information System techniques; • an enhanced programme of publishing and reporting – including web products; • the use of multidisciplinary teams in re source assessments; • key resource management, ecological and baseline studies; • the preparation of a long-term planning framework; • strengthening the capacity to regulate re source use. 3.2 Shared watercourses 3.2.1 Consultations and agreements with riparian neighbours Objective To ensure that Namibia is able to exer cise/advance/advocate/promote/defend its rights and fulfil its responsibilities in shared watercourses towards neighbouring riparian states in a timely, effective and appropriate manner through effective participation in international watercourse bodies and consulta tive processes. Strategies • The establishment of a special institutional home with appropriate expertise devoted to shared watercourse issues and negotia tions. The institution will have as its pri mary purpose the servicing of Namibian negotiators participating in shared water course consultations or representing Na mibia in the international bodies in SADC and elsewhere which address issues of common interest concerning shared water courses. • The development of Namibian capacity for participation in international river basin consultations and organisations; training will be provided by establishing a centre on international law concerning natural re sources, or by the use of similar institu tions in neighbouring countries. • Ensuring that stakeholder participation takes place in the development of national negotiating positions. • The establishment of mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of disputes relating to shared water. • Ensuring that the water quality and quan tity required by international agreements 34 are met. 3.2.2 Strengthen and standardise ap proaches to international river basin management Objective To improve the management of international shared water resources. Strategies • Namibia will promote the establishment of a common database with neighbouring ri parian states and encourage networking and information sharing across boundaries. • The development of joint projects with other basin states within SADC in the in terests of promoting mutual understanding, economic growth and environmental in tegrity • The establishment of structures which al low for interaction and linkages between national river basin organisations and international river basin organisations. 3.3 Water Use And Conservation 3.3.1 Better Water Utilisation and Regula tory Measures Objective To conserve, restore where necessary, and avoid depletion of Namibia's water resources. To utilise water resources in a sustainable way and to manage demand for water by creating incentives and encouraging better water utili sation, but also by creating enforcement mechanisms. Strategies The strategy will be to implement a variety of measures aimed at sustainable utilisation of water resources and their conservation, includ ing: • The establishment of economic incentives to save water, including conservation tar iffs to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of water use that should be done without compromising equity in priority uses such as supplying basic human needs. • The introduction of abstraction fees to en force economic efficiency and create in centives for the most beneficial usage of water. Charging will be phased in gradu ally with due regard for equity consider ations. • Regulations concerning metering and re porting obligations for large surface and groundwater withdrawals. • Regulations concerning pollution preven tion, including issuing permits for disposal of effluents. Permits will be tied to stand ards of effluent quality and/or to receiving water quality objectives. • The introduction of the new legislative framework for managing the nation’s water resources which will ensure that they are developed and managed in an integrated manner, i.e. by reflecting the interrelation ship between surface and groundwater, and between allocation of water resources for use and protection of its quality, as well as making it obligatory that integrated plan ning principles are followed when planning new water supply schemes or augmenting existing schemes. 35 3.3.2 Protection of Water Resources Objective To protect water resources from depletion and pollution. Strategies • Social marketing of water saving devices, and provision of incentives in order to en courage retro-fitting programmes and the use of water-efficient devices. • The application of cost-effective and af fordable technologies appropriate to the various economic, social and environmental settings of rural and urban Namibia. • The reduction of unaccounted-for-water through proper maintenance of water supply and distribution systems. • The introduction of effective pollution con trol mechanisms, especially for municipal and industrial waste discharges, including charges for the discharge of waste. • The encouragement to reduce pollution by recycling of water and reusing of treated wastewater and beneficial utilisation of waste through financial support program mes. 3.3.3 Public awareness and education Objective To raise public awareness and to gain public acceptance of the need for water conservation and promote changes in water-using behav iour. To transfer knowledge concerning water conservation measures in order to facilitate their implementation by Local Authorities, industries, agricultural and tourism sectors. Strategies: The primary strategy will be to strengthen the present national water awareness campaign and to ensure that the concerted nation-wide public campaign achieves both saturation and penetration. The campaign should include: • The enlisting of politicians, decision makers, leaders of civil society and private sector companies in the campaign to estab lish role models and give social endorse ment to the need for water conservation in homes, offices, shops, and factories. • The familiarisation of all branches of the media with the urgent need to transform water-using behaviour and to encourage and support their ongoing involvement in the campaign. • The introduction in schools of water consciousness, within the context of teach ing and learning about society and Namibia’s development goals. • A well-planned programme of public ser vice announcements on television and ra dio channels, and in newspapers and magazines; participation of the private sec tor will be sought, where practicable. • Developing water demand management training programmes for the managers and technical staff of water authorities focus ing on demand management alternatives. • Publishing guidelines for implementing water demand management and water con servation in different sectors such as in dustry, mining, urban and rural water sup ply and agriculture. 36 3.4 Economic and financial issues 3.4.1 Achieving development goals Objectives • To ensure resource sustainability and stop the unsustainable exploitation of water as an ‘open access’ resource. • To enhance social welfare by promoting equitable and efficient economic gains across competing sectors • To entrench development objectives by creating jobs, devolving ownership and property rights over water, utilizing pov erty targeted subsidisation where appropri ate and efficient, and enhance social wel fare by promoting equitable and efficient gains across competing economic sectors. • To promote institutional efficiency and financial self-sufficiency (where applica ble) by encouraging schemes such as pub lic-private partnership in the sector Strategies • Establish economic incentives to save wa ter. These must include: a tariff policy to enhance efficiency in urban areas (e.g.: ris ing block tariff structure); ensuring that sectoral policies do not promoted exces sive consumption (e.g. crop subsidies may encourage uneconomic agricultural pro duction and water use) and further investi gate the use of water markets and ground water pricing. • Send clear economic signals about the true value of the resource to its users and con sumers. Where it is cost effective, promote metering and the adoption of volumetric pricing policies (particularly for industry and agriculture) to reflect the marginal costs of water services and discourage low-value high volume uses; monitor groundwater extraction and its economic uses. • Strengthen enforcement regimes: eco nomic instruments used must be comple mented with the appropriate level of en forcement (be it metering, compliance with regulations, etc) • Embrace new technologies: embrace ap propriate, cost-effective, new technologies for data, operations, management and de cision-making. This may include: meter ing, and water efficient devices, and will differ between regions and for different economic activities. • The use of regulatory tools and economic instruments in allocating water among pri ority uses and competing high-use sectors. • Ensure that water tariffs for industry and agriculture reflect the full social and envi ronmental costs of water abstraction and depletion • Promote new water': efficient enterprises and discourage those that consume water uneconomically. • Promote imports of ‘virtual water’ where appropriate. 3.4.4 Environmental and economic sustainability Objective To ensure resource sustainability through eco nomic and other regulation that send clear economic signals about the value of the re source to users and consumers. 37 Strategies • Undertake a valuation of water resource assets in order to discover the degree of economic scarcity and the degree of inter generational sustainability. • Clarify and highlight the ‘critical capital’ nature of water in Namibia – that there is no substitute for water both as an eco nomic good and as an essential natural re source and habitat (ecosystem). • Remove subsidies that encourage wasteful use of water resources; • Promote economically responsible dis posal of effluents and wastewater – intro duce and enforce the ‘polluter pays' prin ciple. • Support a comprehensive demand man agement strategy through the application of appropriate economic instruments (e.g. rising block tariff structures). • Ensure that in-stream flows are adequate in terms of both quality and quantity to sustain the ecosystem. • Establish appropriate monitoring and /or payment system to control unsustainable groundwater extraction. 3.4.5 Establish a Financial regime to sus tain services Objective Ensure the financial sustainability of water services and provision. Strategies • Undertake comprehensive analyses of ‘willingness to pay’; • Establish financial and commercial auton omy of water services as appropriate • Adopt metering measures (prepaid water metering systems), where cost effective, to monitor volumetric water usage to enable the tariff setting process to take into ac count the marginal costs of water services; • Set up a mechanism to establish and regu late prices both to protect consumers and to support cost recovery. 3.4.6 Social Aspects of Water Supply The supply of a basic minimum quantity of clean water is often seen as a basic human right. Such a stance means that water is not always and everywhere a pure economic good. Namibia is one of the most unequal societies in the world as illustrated by a Gini Coeffici ent of 0.70 (UNDP 1998). The richest 10% of the society receive 65% income, leaving only 35% for the remaining 90%. Hand in hand with the inequities of the Namibian economy is the existence of relative and absolute pov erty. Low incomes and lack of access or rights to natural resources, such as water, contribute to poverty in Namibia. Objective Since water has wider social qualities, such as health related and subsequently productivity related benefits, there is a need to consider the social aspects when addressing the issue of water resources management, water supply and allocation. Strategies Ensure Access to water. The social benefits of minimum levels of water consumption and the existence of poverty make the issue of access to water, either physical or economic, of prime 38 importance in light of current policies of cost recovery and Community Based Management (CBM) of water supply. 3.5 Legislative and regulatory frame work 3.5.1 Legal ownership of water resources in accordance with the Constitution Objective To facilitate Government ownership and con trol over the entire national resource base. The State, acting through the Government, will ensure that water resources are protected, de veloped, managed, and used in an equitable and sustainable manner for the benefit of all, recognising every citizen’s right of access to water in sufficient quantity to meet basic hu man needs and the legitimacy of the envi ronment as a water user. Strategy Ownership of the entire resource base will be clearly and irrevocably vested in the State, in accordance with Article 100 of the Namibian Constitution. The power to regulate all uses of water will correspondingly reside in the State and be exercised by the State, acting through the Government. All rights to access and use water will derive from a legislation which will exclude the exercise of ultimate control over water rising in or flowing through private property (the riparian principle), notwithstand ing previous interpretations of existing law. 3.5.2 Establishment of an effective regula tory regime Objective To underpin the implementation of policies designed to influence the volume of abstrac tions from the resource base, conservation of the resource, the promotion of human survival, health, and economically productive life, while respecting environmental integrity and the need for sustainability. Strategies • Quantity regulation: The revision of the existing licensing and permit systems for prospecting for water and abstraction of water, especially in Water Control Areas in such a way as to introduce stringent controls to conserve the resource and allo cate its benefits on an equitable basis. The regulatory framework should recognise the unity of the hydrological cycle (i.e. ad dress surface and groundwater together) and the interdependence of water quantity management with water quality manage ment. • Quality regulation: The introduction of a stringent regime for water pollution con trol, covering water quality standards, the control of discharges of effluents and wastewater; application of the ‘precaution ary’ principle with regard to discharges (responsibility to take precautionary action when undertaking potentially damaging activities ) and ‘polluter pays’ principles (polluter pays the cost of remedial action required). • Enforcement: Current mechanisms for enforcement of regulations will be re viewed, and where these are inadequate, 39 they will be improved and strengthened. 3.5.3 The resolution of water disputes Objective To establish a mechanism for the appropriate management of conflicts over water and re solve disputes, including the hearing of ap peals against water management institutions. The dispute resolution mechanism will be em powered to function in a timely and cost effective manner. Strategy The establishment of a multidisciplinary Water Tribunal drawing upon the necessary specialist knowledge (law, engineering, water resources management, management of water services). 3.6 Institutions and Community Partici pation 3.6.1 General institutional objectives Objectives • To enhance efficiency and accountability in water resources management; • To foster clarity and separation of roles; • To transform water resource management and water services to match the needs of the independent Namibia • To ensure participation of broader stake holders and the communities in water management. General Strategies In keeping with the policy and with current international practice, water resource man agement and service-related institutions will be reconfigured into four separate groups: 1. Institutions responsible for management of the resource base, including the control of abstraction, water conservation and en vironmental protection and in the long term to set up a Natural Resources and Data Institute for Namibia; 2. Institutions responsible for establishing and implementing the regulatory regime with respect to the performance of water services, using both regulatory controls and economic incentives; 3. Institutions responsible for delivery of services, whose role is to facilitate and support an enabling environment for the planning, design, and operation of water services at appropriate administrative lev els, down to the community. 4. A separate policy unit that will develop and co-ordinate policy and strategies; and monitor implementation thereof. 3.6.2 Water Resources Management Insti tutions Objective To ensure integrated water resources man agement of all Namibia's water resources. Strategies Convert the Directorate of Resources Man agement into an ‘agency’ under GRN guide lines. This will improve operating efficiency, and provide a much stronger focus on regional customers and the community and on sustain ability of our natural resources. The appropri ate process should begin immediately. 40 3.6.3 Regulatory institutions Objectives • The main reason for setting up a regulatory framework in Namibia is to regulate the monopolistic practices of service provid ers. • To ensure that price setting for water ser vices is fair, open, transparent and partici patory, and to foster consumer representa tion in negotiations regarding water prices. Strategies • It is intended that an Independent Regu lator be created to regulate all state-run utilities, parastatals and private service providers. The establishment of a small independent pricing review group reporting to the pro posed Cabinet Committee on Water Re sources, which will be empowered to pro vide independent advice on the water pric ing proposals of NamWater and from local authorities. The independent review will set the maximum price for water services and the Cabinet Committee will then rec ommend to Cabinet the appropriate level of pricing, taking into account social, envi ronmental, and economical considerations. This arrangement will meet current needs for pricing regulation until such time as the new independent regulatory regime is agreed and created by law. 3.6.4 Service delivery institutions includ ing rural water supply services Objective To ensure that the government’s decentralisa tion and community management policies are progressively implemented. Strategies The role of the Directorate of Rural Water Supply will change from that of ‘service de signer and deliverer’ to one of ‘facilitator, en abler and advisor for the delivery of services’. At the central level, the role will be to guide and oversee the implementation of WASP over the designated 10-year period. To achieve this efficiently and effectively, technical ex pertise will be needed to provide ‘on-demand’ or urgent advice to regional councils respon sible for managing services above community level. The following approach will be adopted: The RWS Directorate will be transformed into a ‘RWS Project Team’ or ‘RWS Task Force’. Detailed planning process is to be under taken with dated outputs to determine: The number of staff, functions and budgetary provisions to be trans ferred to the regions; The nature of the functions to be outsourced; The staffing levels and budgetary provision necessary to undertake the functions that remain at the centre. 41 3.6.5 Policy and Strategy Unit Objectives • To ensure the continued development of national policy on all aspects related to water – environmental, social and eco nomic, including national pricing policies, in a co-ordinated fashion between all rel evant Ministries. • To ensure adequate strategic planning across all institutions involved in water re sources management and the management of water services at all levels as well as to ensure necessary interdisciplinary co ordination. • To serve as a policy analysis, evaluation and re-evaluation on continuous basis. Strategies To achieve the above objectives, an independ ent unit will be created, comprising a small but highly skilled and technically competent group, reporting directly to the Minister to oversee policy development and programme evaluation. This will be called the Policy and Strategy Unit. The Unit will also provide an institutional home for responsibilities in rela tion to Shared Watercourses, dealing with stra tegic policy, liaison, secretariat functions (technical input would be obtained from the WRM Agency), and other functions as neces sary. 3.7 Institutional capacity building and human resources 3.7.1 Training for competence Objective To develop training methodologies and quali fications based on competence in all techni cal, managerial and administrative occupations needed to put in place and sustain community based management of water services. The cur rent formal training system emphasises rela tively high entry requirements, rather than emphasising quality of training and output. The majority of people are therefore excluded from entry, and informal training activities do not lead to any recognised qualification. Rem edying this situation is regarded as a priority for building institutional and community ca pacity. Strategies The introduction of a training system which allows individuals (extension workers, muni cipal operatives, Water Point Committee members) to advance by demonstrating com petence through performance associated with their job, career aspirations, and local labour market needs. The training programmes and demonstrated competence will be recognised as a qualification at national level and will be open to anyone. • The re-design of training programmes; a sample of such programmes has already been developed and implemented experi mentally, and has been received positively by people working in communities, com panies, government and unions. • The development of systems of skills training using unconventional rather than formal classroom or schooling approaches, such as training workshops and ‘on-the job’ activities. 42 • Introduction of the system of training known as ‘Fast-Trac’, which captures the requirements already outlined. The Fast Trac training system is focused on meeting the real needs of both individuals and or ganisations, and their respective develop mental aspirations. 3.7.2 Establishment of human resources development standards Objective To introduce quality assurance in the area of human resources development in order to promote transformation within Namibian insti tutions which still tend to manage human re sources development in isolation from the management of change. The overall objective is to build capacity relevant for the Namibian world of today, which requires that organisa tions re-shape themselves into ‘learning or ganisations’. Strategies • The development of a set of Institutional Standards for organisations involved in the management of water resources and water services. This is already far advanced; a set of Institutional Standards was intro duced in late 1998, and has elicited wide support from the relevant organisations. Further testing and development are re quired. • The introduction of incentives to encour age organisations to apply these standards. This will be achieved through a combina tion by legal enforcement, a voluntary code, and tendering procedures that re quire contractors to introduce the stand ards. 3.7.3 Programmes for Professional Devel opment Objective To empower senior professionals and manag ers in Namibia with the knowledge and com petence required to implement the many chan ges introduced through this Water Policy. The enhancement of skills for change management at senior levels is regarded as a priority, espe cially in the light of the changes envisaged within water related institutions Strategies • Expansion of resources for human re sources development with regard to water, whose requirements are not adequately re flected in the National Human Resources Development Plan 1998-2010. • Affirmative action programmes so that those previously excluded from positions in the upper levels of management and administration for reasons unconnected to ability and competence are given the skills and promotional opportunities to redress past inequities based on race, gender, dis ability or any other form of discrimination. 43 CHAPTER FOUR 4.1 Conclusion This document is the fruit of a rigorous process of investigation and discussion lasting more than two years and involving Namibians from all walks of life and the support of many friends in the international water fraternity. The Government commends the contents of this Water Policy to all the people of Na mibia and calls on all concerned to study its contents and assist in its implementation. The new policy places Namibia amongst a small group of nations which have adopted progress ive policies to manage, develop and protect their water resources for the benefit of all its citizens, present and future. Implementation of this policy will require changes to our laws and changes in the way we use water. For some these changes may mean that their water use is restricted - for most it will mean improved access and greater equity. 44 CHAPTER FIVE 5.1 Glossary of Terms Aquifer means a geological formation that has structures or textures that hold water or permit appreciable water movement through them; Basin in relation to a water resource or water resources or part of a watercourse, means the area from which any rainfall will drain into the watercourse or watercourses or part of a watercourse, through surface flow to a com mon point or common points; Borehole includes a well, excavation or any artificially constructed or improved under ground cavity which can be used for the pur pose of intercepting, collecting or storing water in or removing water from an aquifer; Conservation in relation to a water resource means the efficient use and saving of water, achieved through measures such as water sav ing devices, water efficient processes, protec tion from pollution, water demand manage ment and water rationing; Cost Recovery Fee structures that cover the cost of providing the service. Decentralization The distribution of respon sibilities for decisionmaking and operations to lower levels of government, community orga nizations, the private sector, and non governmental organizations. Demand management The use of price, quantitative restrictions, and other devices to limit the demand for water. Domestic Use means the household use of water for cooking, bathing, watering a house hold garden and household animals and fire fighting; 'domestic use' does not include the irrigation of crops for commercial purposes of the use of water in a business. Environment means the aggregate of sur rounding objects, conditions and influences that affect the life and habits of people or any other organism or collection of organisms; Environmental assessment means a process whereby the likely significant bio-physical and socio-economic effects of land-use and water use are identified, assessed and taken into ac count in the decision-making process to ensure sustainable land use and water use practices; Environmental Reserve: The quantity and quality of water as well as duration and timing of flow required to ensure that the needs of aquatic ecosystems are sustainably met. Hydro-environmental systems: The natural systems (geology, soils, vegetation and fresh water aquatic habitats) that furnish the re source base through a linked series of flows and water quality changes. The integrity of these systems is vital to maintain a flow of en vironmental services as well as exploitable water. Integrated Water Resources Management: In the broadest definition this involves con sideration of three levels of integration. Integration of hydrological processes (the hydrological cycle), integration across landscapes (basins or aquifers) and integration through the national socio-economic fabric. Management has to have an appreciation of all three levels if it is to be effective and make sustainable use of the resource. 45 Pollutant means any substance, whether li quid, solid or gaseous which, directly or indi rectly, alters the quality of any segment or element of the receiving water environment so as to affect any beneficial use of water ad versely, or is hazardous or potentially hazard ous to health; Pollution means the direct or indirect alter ation of the physical, chemical or biological properties of a water resource so as to make it less fit for any beneficial purpose for which it may reasonably be expected to be used; Riparian State A state through or along which a portion of a river flows or a lake lies. River basin A geographical area determined by the watershed limits of a system of water, including surface and underground water, flowing into a common terminus. Raw Water is the natural resource occurring as: Surface water that is found in a river, lake, sea or other surface impound ment, or Groundwater that is trapped beneath the ground Unaccounted-for water The difference be tween the volume of water delivered to a sup ply system and the volume of water accounted for by legitimate consumption, whether me tered or not (or the measured volume of sup plied water that is consumed legitimately, the difference being what is stolen or lost) Virtual Water - water used in the production of most goods, whether agricultural or not. Importing goods from other countries could be interpreted as that, water used to produce the goods, has been imported. The domestic water that is 'free' as a result of the importation of the goods can be put to alternative, more valu able, uses which may previously have been 'crowded out' by lower value and perhaps lar ger volume uses. The water so freed is termed 'virtual water'. Vulnerability: The degree to which hydro environmental systems are degraded by ab straction and pollution. Freshwater systems in semi-arid systems are particularly vulnerable to small changes in water levels. Wetland Areas of marsh, fen, peat land, or water that include natural, artificial, perma nent, and temporary areas with static or flow ing water is fresh, brackish, or marine. Water Use: all water flows that are a result of human intervention within the hydrological cycle. Water demand management: Water demand management involves measures that improve efficiency by reducing water use or altering patterns of water use. Examples include con servation-oriented pricing, retrofitting, water efficient landscaping, changes in water-use practices, and public education. Watercourse A system of surface and under ground waters that constitute, by virtue of their physical relationship, a unitary whole and flow into a common terminus. Watershed An area drained by a river or stream system. Water resource base: The exploitable vol umes of water furnished by surface and groundwater processes in linked hydro environmental systems.