Namibia Becomes First Southern African Country to Join UN Water Convention

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Namibia has made history by becoming the first Southern African country to join the United Nations Water Convention. With a population of around 2.5 million people, Namibia shares its perennial rivers and significant transboundary groundwater reserves with neighboring countries.

As a mid-stream and downstream country, transboundary water cooperation plays a crucial role in ensuring Namibia’s water security and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Mr. Calle Schlettwein, Namibia’s Minister for Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, emphasized the importance of transboundary water cooperation, stating that it is the cornerstone of the nation’s water security.

He believes that Namibia’s accession to the UN Water Convention will not only bring substantial benefits but also provide an opportunity to promote peace and equity in transboundary water sharing among fellow member nations.

Ms. Olga Algayerova, the UNECE Executive Secretary, congratulated Namibia on joining the UN Water Convention, highlighting the relevance of the treaty in addressing water challenges across national borders, particularly in the face of rising climate change impacts.

Namibia’s accession follows Nigeria and Iraq earlier this year, underscoring the convention’s significance in supporting sustainable development and preventing conflicts over shared waters.

Namibia’s commitment to transboundary water cooperation is further demonstrated by its membership in basin organizations such as OKACOM, ORASECOM, ZAMCOM, and CUVECOM.

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Additionally, the country is a party to the 2000 Southern African Development Community’s Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses and the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses.

Namibia’s transboundary freshwater bodies are fully covered by operational management arrangements, making it one of only two countries in Africa to achieve this according to the national report submission for SDG Indicator 6.5.2.

Accession to the UN Water Convention will further enhance Namibia’s capacity for cooperation and sustainable management of shared waters, including groundwater.

Water Convention

In a groundbreaking initiative, Namibia has embarked on a two-year Twinning Initiative with Finland, a party to the Convention.

This collaboration aims to exchange experiences, build capacity, and strengthen bilateral cooperation on transboundary water management. It marks the first Twinning of its kind between the two countries.

The UN Water Convention, serviced by the UNECE, is a global legal framework and platform for cooperation and sustainable management of shared waters. With Namibia’s accession, the convention now counts 50 parties, and over 20 countries worldwide are in the process of joining, particularly from Africa and Latin America.

With 153 countries sharing rivers, lakes, and groundwater resources globally, the importance of the convention’s work cannot be overstated.

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