N$13 Million Swakop Basin Water Project Signed
Swakop Basin Collective Action Project receives approximately N$13 million for water security measures in central Namibia through 2030.
Namibia Breweries Limited has committed approximately N$13 million to a five-year water security project expected to deliver approximately 386 million litres of annual water benefits by 2030. The brewer signed a Memorandum of Agreement with WWF Namibia and Global Water Challenge for the Swakop Basin Collective Action Project, also known as the NBL Water Balancing Project. WWF Namibia will implement the 2026-2030 initiative in partnership with Global Water Challenge and the City of Windhoek. The project will support water security, climate resilience and sustainable management of the Swakop River Basin.
Investment Beyond Brewery Operations
NBL improved its water efficiency to 3.56 litres of water for every litre of product produced in 2025 and is working towards reducing this to 2.4 litres by 2030 under its Brew a Better Namibia 2030 strategy. Since 2015, the company has invested more than N$35 million in reducing its own water footprint and has increased its water efficiency by 30% since 2024.
Waldemar von Lieres, Managing Director at Namibia Breweries Limited, said:
“Our ambition is to lead by example in water stewardship, inside our brewery and beyond. Since 2015, we have invested more than N$35 million in reducing our own water footprint and have increased our water efficiency by 30% since 2024. Our N$13 million commitment over five years to the Water Balancing Project extends that investment into the shared basin on which we all depend. Working with our partners, we aim to strengthen water security for communities, businesses and ecosystem, helping build a water-resilient future for Namibia.”
Catchment And Groundwater Measures
By 2030, the project is expected to deliver approximately 386 million litres of annual water benefits through interventions in the upper Swakop catchment. These include managed aquifer recharge and other nature-based solutions to improve groundwater recharge and water quality, removal of invasive alien plants from riverbeds, and a Sub-Basin Water Allocation and Abstraction Plan.
The project will also restore or improve the management of 153 hectares of land. Its annual water benefit is equivalent to more than 150 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Shared Basin Security
The Swakop River Basin is a critical water source for communities, agriculture, industry and towns across central Namibia. Growing demand, recurring droughts and climate change are placing increasing pressure on these limited water resources.
It builds on Global Water Challenge’s existing collaboration with WWF Namibia and Coca-Cola in the Swakop Basin.
Dr Juliane Zeidler, WWF Namibia Country Director at WWF Namibia, said:
“Water touches every aspect of our lives, from the health of our ecosystems to the wellbeing of our communities and economy. What makes this partnership so important is that it brings together organisations with different strengths but a shared commitment to protecting the resources on which we all depend. By investing in the health of the basin today, we have an opportunity to address water challenges at their source and create lasting benefits for people and nature for generations to come.”
