THE Coca-Cola system has committed USD 1.22 million to strengthen water security and restore degraded ecosystems in Namibia, as the country grapples with recurring droughts and increasing demand for water.
The investment will support the //Gam-i Swakop Basin Resilience Project, which seeks to improve water availability and strengthen the resilience of the Swakop River Basin, a major water source for Windhoek and surrounding communities.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Namibia, using nature-based solutions to promote sustainable water resource management.
Key interventions include constructing two sand storage dams, restoring 235 hectares of land through the removal of invasive alien plants and planting 750 trees in river buffer zones and environmentally degraded areas within Windhoek’s informal settlements.
The initiative will also involve drilling two boreholes to support groundwater recharge in the Windhoek aquifer, alongside the development of a water resilience action plan.
Namibia faces significant water security challenges, particularly in Windhoek, which is located in one of the most water-stressed regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Low and unpredictable rainfall, coupled with high evaporation rates, continues to put pressure on available water resources.
Coca-Cola Vice-President for East and Central Africa Operations Alfred Olajide said addressing water challenges required locally driven interventions and partnerships among different stakeholders.
“Because water challenges are local, our approach to water security is focused on local action and collaboration,” he said.
He added that the Coca-Cola system remained committed to promoting responsible water management, improving water-use efficiency and treating and returning safe water to communities.
Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company General Manager Henry Friedrich said the company recognised its responsibility to support communities facing water scarcity and protect water resources in areas where it operates.
“As part of the Coca-Cola Beverages Africa group, we have a responsibility to assist those who face water scarcity and to help protect local water resources where we operate, especially in places with the biggest challenges,” he said.
Friedrich said the initiative was also intended to protect important watersheds while improving access to water and sanitation in local communities.
WWF Namibia Country Director Dr Juliane Zeidler said investing in healthy ecosystems could generate tangible benefits for communities while strengthening their ability to cope with future climate-related challenges.
“Water is one of Namibia’s most precious and increasingly vulnerable resources. This project is an opportunity to demonstrate how investing in healthy ecosystems can deliver tangible benefits for people, while also helping communities become more resilient to future climate pressures,” she said.
She expressed hope that lessons and partnerships developed through the project would inform similar interventions elsewhere in Namibia.
The investment forms part of the Coca-Cola system’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative, launched in 2024, which represents a nearly USD 25 million commitment to addressing critical water-related challenges in 20 African countries by 2030.
Olajide said the company would continue working with governments, businesses and civil society organisations to develop and implement strategic interventions to address shared water challenges.