Why protecting the Stampriet aquifer matters to Namibia’s future (Part 1)

ROUX-CHé LOCKE WRITES:There is a freshwater resource beneath south-eastern Namibia that most people will never see – yet it supports communities, agriculture, businesses and ecosystems across a region where water is not simply valuable. It is essential to life. In a country defined by its arid landscapes, water has always been more than a natural resource. It determines where communities can flourish; sustains agriculture; supports businesses and livelihoods; shapes ecosystems; and it influences the future of generations who have not yet had a say in how today’s resources are managed. Beneath the surface of south-eastern Namibia lies the Stampriet Artesian Basin (SAB), Namibia’s biggest groundwater system, whose significance extends beyond the communities living above it. And now, questions about how that resource should be protected are becoming increasingly important. At the centre of the conversation is the proposed use of in-situ recovery (ISR), also known as in-situ leach (ISL), for uranium extraction and the potential risks associated with the process in relation to groundwater. For Sauma – the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association – the issue is not opposition to mining as an industry. It is about protecting a critical groundwater resource and ensuring that decisions with potentially long-term consequences are based on rigorous science, effective safeguards, transparent governance and meaningful public participation. Because the bigger story is not simply about uranium – it is about water. THE RESOURCE BENEATH THE SURFACE An aquifer is different from a river or a dam. It is largely invisible. There is no body of water on the surface to remind people of its presence every day. Yet groundwater can underpin the lives and livelihoods of the people, businesses, farms and ecosystems that depend on it. That makes understanding and protecting groundwater particularly important. The Stampriet Artesian Basin is part of a broader transboundary groundwater system – the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System (STAS) – extending across Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Its story is therefore not confined to one town, one community or even one country. It is a story about a shared natural resource and the responsibility that comes with managing resources that cross borders and generations. For Sauma, protecting that resource begins with ensuring that the public understands what is beneath the ground, who depends on it and what impact pollution can have. WHEN DEVELOPMENT MEETS A CRITICAL RESOURCE Namibia needs economic development. The country needs investment, employment, infrastructure and opportunities for its people. Mining has an important role in that economic conversation. The question, therefore, is not whether development should happen. The question is how development involving a critical groundwater resource should be assessed and managed. In-situ recovery or in-situ leach uranium extraction involves the introduction of fluids into an underground formation to mobilise uranium for recovery. Whether such a process is appropriate in a particular environment depends on a range of geological, hydrogeological, technical, regulatory and environmental considerations. That is where Sauma believes the conversation needs to be grounded: – What does science tell us? What safeguards are required? – How can groundwater be protected and monitored? – What governance mechanisms need to be in place? – How would potential risks be identified and managed? – And what information should communities and the public have access to before decisions are made? These are not questions that should be answered through assumption or rhetoric. They require sound scientific evidence. THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WATER The aquifer may be underground, but its story is ultimately about people. Farmers who depend on water for production; communities whose livelihoods are connected to the land; businesses operating in a water-constrained environment; families planning for the future, and ecosystems that exist within the limits of the water available to them. For these communities, water security is inseparable from economic and social security. That is why Sauma believes the conversation about the Stampriet aquifer needs to move beyond technical terminology and development proposals. It needs to ask a much more fundamental question: Who depends on this water – and what does protecting it mean for them? Answering that question means listening to the people who live and work within the aquifer’s environment and bringing their experiences into a conversation that is often dominated by technical and political language. It also means recognising that today’s decisions may affect people who are not yet in the room. – To be continued* Beste lesers, keuring vir die publikasie van WhatsApp, briewe en alle ander lesersbydraes berus by Republikein. Klagtes oor die diens van private besighede word eers aan die onderneming vir reaksie voorgelê. Die menings van ons lesers en rubriekskrywers verteenwoordig nie noodwendig die standpunt van Republikein nie. Republikein is ’n lid van die Redakteursforum van Namibië (EFN) en onderskryf die etiese kode vir die Namibiese media soos toegepas deur die media-ombudsman.

Why protecting the Stampriet aquifer matters to Namibia’s future (Part 1)

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Republikein 2026-11-02

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Why protecting the Stampriet aquifer matters to Namibia’s future (Part 1)

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