나미비아는 물부족을 해결하기 위한 담수 프로그램으로 연간 4억3천만㎥의 물을 소비하는 관개 체계를 공급하기 위해 힘쓰고 있으며, 이에 따라 나마비아 정부는 2016∼2017년의 기간 동안 준비중인 대규모의 지하 수원을 기반으로 하는 물 프로그램에 6억 나마비아 달러(약 4천80만 달러)의 예산을 배정했다.

 

그러나 지역 뉴스 웹사이트인 Postzambia의 보도에 따르면 농업부 장관 John Mutorwa는 무시해도 될만한 적은 양의 강우가 내리는 경우 재정적으로 낭비되는 드릴링 시추공(drilling boreholes)을 선언했다. 보도에 따르면 Mutorwa는 해수담수화를 주장한 바 있다.

 

 

 

Namibia is pondering a desalination programme to address water shortages and to supply irrigation schemes that consume annually some 430 million m³ of water.

 

The Namibian government had earmarked 600 million Namibian dollars (US$ 40.8 million) for water programmes during the 2016/17 based largely on tapping underground sources. But agriculture minister John Mutorwa was reported in regnal news website, Postzambia, as declaring drilling boreholes as a waste of financial resources while there was negligible rainfall.

 

Mutorwa reportedly claimed seawater desalination was, "the only option to embark upon and government has a plan on how to go about doing so." He proposed that money in the water programme, should be used for desalination and research into managing water resources.. 

A coastal seawater desalination plant at Swakopmund, owned by French engineering giant Areva, has been the centre of long-running speculation over whether the government would buy the plant - supplies water to Trekkopje uranium mine - in preference to building a new facility.

 

Mutorwa said the Namibia Water Corporation was discussing the price with Areva.

 

[출처 = Desalination & Water Reuse / 2016년 4월 12일]