NamWater: ESIA for the Desalination Plant and the #Gaingu PV Power Plant

Namibia Water Corporation Ltd (NamWater) is a wholly state-owned enterprise whose mandate is the supply of bulk water services to Namibia. NamWater is proposing the development of a desalination plant and water carriage system to secure water supply to the Namibian Central Coastal area. NamWater further intends to develop a photovoltaic (PV) plant in the #Gaingu Conservancy to supply power to the proposed desalination plant and pump station.

The development and operation of the Desalination and Water Carriage System and PV plant is subject to an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) being granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) in terms of the Environmental Management Act, 2007 (No. 7 of 2007) (EMA).

Granting of the ECC is subject to an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) being undertaken. SLR Environmental Consulting Namibia (SLR) has been appointed to undertake the necessary ESIA process on behalf of NamWater.

A Scoping Process was completed and approved by MEFT in July 2021. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process has been completed, using the Terms of Reference as approved in the Scoping Report, and was submitted to MEFT for decision making in January 2024.

Status

A Draft ESIA Report was compiled and made available for public comment and review from 22 September 2023 to 23 October 2023 (extended from 20 November 2023 until 6 December 2023). The Draft ESIA Report was updated to a Final ESIA Report and submitted to MEFT, MAWLR and MME for decision-making. All comments received on the Draft ESIA Report were collated and responded to in a Comments and Responses Report which was appended to the Final ESIA Report (see Appendix C - Public Participation Record below).

The ECC for the #Gaingu Solar PV Plant has been awarded. A copy of the ECC and notice to all the registered Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs) can be found below.

For information purposes, the full Final ESIA Reports for both projects are available for download below.