As climate pressures intensify across southern Africa, experts are urging Namibia to look west, to the ocean, for long-term solutions to its growing water insecurity. Specialists argue that seawater desalination could play a critical role in safeguarding livelihoods, strengthening agricultural production and reducing climate-induced migration and conflict over scarce natural resources.
AgriConsult Animal Scientist and Rangeland Specialist Axel Rothauge explained that Namibia’s long coastline presents an untapped opportunity to convert seawater into a reliable water source for agriculture. According to Rothauge, desalinated seawater could significantly reduce the need for farmers to migrate from one region to another in search of grazing land and water.
He added that parts of the Namibian Desert could be transformed into productive agricultural areas through the use of desalinated seawater. “This is possible technically and economically. It should be a priority. We can benchmark with countries such as Israel, Chile and Australia, which have already adopted desalination technologies to strengthen water security under harsh climatic conditions. We can learn and copy from these countries,” said Rothauge.
He noted that while large-scale desalination plants are costly, seawater desalination does not have to be limited to national infrastructure projects. In addition, he shared that desalinating seawater can also be implemented at farm level, arguing that Namibia should explore a range of technologies suitable for small-scale farmers or cooperatives.
“We need start-up funds to inform ourselves of the available technology in the world, but this is not done in southern Africa. We need to do it here,” suggested Rothauge. The call comes amid growing concern over climate-driven displacement across the continent. The 2025 Africa State of the Environment Report, launched last September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, warns that Africa could experience the highest levels of displacement globally due to climate change.
The report states that between 2012 and 2025, nearly 222 million people in Africa were affected by weather, climate and water-related disasters. By 2050, it projects that up to 5% of the continent’s population, estimated at around two billion people, could be forced to move due to the worsening impacts of climate change. The African Union Commission’s Senior Legal Adviser on Climate and Human Mobility, Ahmed Bugra noted that climate change is increasingly intertwined with conflict and migration dynamics.
He explained that communities are often compelled to leave their homes in search of water, grazing land, natural resources and employment opportunities. “There is a connection between climate change and conflicts. This is not just an environmental problem, but also an economic and social problem,” concluded Bugra.
