Concrete Roof Tiles, puzolanic cement, earth houses, ecomaterials: EcoSur - Home

For me, the biggest challenge Namibia is facing is the low sanitation coverage. The need for potable water supply and basic sanitation services in Namibia was identified at independence as one of the major basic essential needs of which the Nation, especially people living in communal areas, had been deprived. However, there has been unequal attention to water and sanitation --it is time for sanitation to be accorded the same priority as water. This will require political will, adequate funding, significant capacity development, and intense coordination.

I observed a strong debate taking place in the country with regard to wet vs dry sanitation. In my opinion, dry sanitation will play an important role in the future for this country. Wet sanitation will make unaffordable water even more unaffordable. In the dry climate of Namibia, wet sanitation also uses precious water resources, which the country cannot afford to spare. Thus, dry sanitation presents a more sustainable path forward for everyone – rich and poor. This reflects a wider trend in the world, including some of the most affluent places, to opt for more ecologically sustainable sanitation solutions.

I visited the Clay House Project in Otjiwarongo, where Otji toilets were invented, and saw them in use in Katutura. Namibia should be proud of this pioneering solution, which enables access to safe and dignified sanitation while saving scarce water resources. Where it has been implemented, the municipalities concerned have committed to emptying the containers, as part of larger government services such as garbage removal, paid for by taxes. There is considerable scope in Namibia for increased usage of such solutions, which could also have a positive impact in reducing the very high level of unemployment.