Namibia declares drought, launches relief programme

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda on Tuesday said the government has officially declared a state of drought in Namibia.

She said measures are being put into motion to initiate a comprehensive drought relief programme aimed at assisting the vulnerable and affected communities residing in all 14 regions of the country.

The deputy minister delivered these remarks during the third ordinary meeting of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) council of ministers held in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday.

In a statement released by the ministry, Shiweda highlighted the significance of the joint effort made by Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Germany in establishing SASSCAL to address the challenges posed by global climate change.

“We should continue to harness, support and strengthen the governance of this important institution. We view our partnership and participation in SASSCAL as being in pursuance of the SADC and AU integration agenda in the area of science, land and indeed advancement of human capacity development of our people,” the deputy minister said.

Namibia, therefore, wishes to reaffirm its unwavering commitment and dedication to the success of SASSCAL while also commending the steadfast commitment and contributions of fellow member states in pursuit of SASSCAL’s objectives, Shiweda noted.

Furthermore, she underscored that Namibia, being a nation frequently affected by climate change-induced events such as droughts and floods, attaches great importance to the thematic and programmatic efforts of SASSCAL.

Source: Namibia Press Agency