As SASSCAL member states take stock of the second research portfolio coming to an end in 2026, Namibia stands tall as having delivered on both the SASSCAL 2.0 and the Green Hydrogen projects.
The Namibia National Node has implemented eight national research projects and awarded scholarships to 34 Namibian students pursuing Honours, Master’s, and PhD degrees. Across all five African Member States—Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa—a total of 104 students have benefited from the programme since 2022.
In the renewable energy space, SASSCAL is championing Green Hydrogen development having launched Africa’s first Green Hydrogen Village in Namibia’s Erongo Region in 2023. Accompanying this landmark achievement, the Namibian Youth for Green Hydrogen Scholarship Programme has recorded its own successes. Since its launch two years ago, SASSCAL has awarded scholarships to 148 students to study at the International University of Management, Namibia University of Science and Technology, University of Namibia, and TVET institutions.
In addition, the Graduate Studies Programme in Integrated Water Resources Management, (SGSP-IWRM) hosted by NUST will be graduating its first cohort in October this year. NUST welcomed its first intake of 13 PhD students in 2022, three of them being Namibians. The SGSP-IWRM is expected to become SASSCAL’s Regional Centre of Excellence in water resource management for the Namibia National Node and more intakes are expected next year and in the years to come. The currently enrolled thirteen students are from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.
Hon. Ruth Masake, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform highlighted these achievements in her keynote speech during the SASSCAL 2.0 Research Programme Thematic Workshop in Windhoek, Namibia, held from 15th to 16th April, 2024.
The workshop was held under the theme “Strengthening Climate Resilience through Food Security and Water Management”, which was deemed relevant given the climate realities facing Namibia. The Ministry is SASSCAL’s line Ministry for Namibia and it has spearheaded the ratification process for the SASSCAL treaty of which Namibia was the first country to ratify followed by Zambia, whilst Angola and Botswana are at an advanced stage. The ratification of the SASSCAL treaty will enable SASSCAL to attain the status of an international organisation thereby strengthening its governance and global standing.
The Namibian Government honours the annual financial contributions to SASSCAL through the Ministry.
“We are now progressing through SASSCAL 2.0, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with a remarkable EUR 10 million investment. Through this phase, Namibia continues to play a pivotal role in coordinating and implementing research projects, particularly in the critical areas of water and food security, valued at EUR 2.8 million equivalent to approximately N$59 million at the current exchange rate,” She remarked.
Under the previous SASSCAL 1.0 Research Portfolio, which ran from 2012 to 2018, Namibia successfully executed 18 national tasks with a total investment of approximately EUR 1.8 million. These projects provided tangible benefits to Namibian communities and established a solid research foundation, she added. “As the host country of the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat, Namibia remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting SASSCAL’s mission of strengthening regional capacity through the generation and application of scientific knowledge, services, and innovations. These are critical in informing evidence-based decision-making on climate change and sustainable land management practices,” the deputy minister said.
SASSCAL Namibia National Node is the Centre of Excellence for Water Resources Management.
Since its inception, SASSCAL has implemented numerous projects that directly respond to climate change challenges in the fields of agriculture, forestry, biodiversity conservation, water resource management, and capacity building. The Thematic Workshop was an opportunity to take stock of the achievements and to identify ways to further enhance the impact of SASSCAL’s collective efforts.
The Namibian workshop follows successful events in Botswana and South Africa in 2024 and Angola, which took place from 2-3 April 2025.
Namibia continues to experience increasing climate variability, ranging from severe droughts to extreme rainfall, flash floods, and outbreaks of pests and diseases. In 2024, the late President, H.E Hage Geingob declared a State of Emergency due to prolonged drought, which caused widespread crop failure, water shortages, and the depletion of natural resources. This year’s events haven’t been pleasant either as torrential rains led to destructive flooding in various regions, while locust infestations in the Zambezi Region pose further threats to food security.
“These ongoing challenges remind us that adaptive and science-based solutions are not just necessary, they are urgent. The establishment of SASSCAL by six committed nations in response to climate change has proven to be a timely and visionary initiative,” Hon. Masake said.
Also speaking at the event, SASSCAL Interim Executive Director, Dr Budzanani Tacheba reiterated the importance of water. “Water is life—yet Namibia’s freshwater resources remain under severe pressure,” he said. To secure the sustainability of water in the future, Dr. Tacheba proposed the expansion of Water Harvesting Techniques through rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge projects, which can mitigate water scarcity, and investments in Desalination and Recycling, as desalination plants offer a viable solution, while wastewater recycling can support agriculture.
Meanwhile, SASSCAL mitigates the water crises in Namibia through SASSCAL Project WIRE – (Water storage in the Angolan-Namibian ishana system which focuses on resource management and adaptation to climate change.
This project aims to establish the ishana system hydrology and water retention function; assess water demand and management challenges in light of changing climate; and establish if water retention or storage potential can be further increased.
Strengthening Transboundary Water Cooperation
As a way to strengthen transboundary water cooperation, the Zambezi, Okavango, and Orange River basins remain critical water sources for Namibia. Dr Tacheba noted that regional partnerships remain essential for equitable water sharing adding that the SASSCAL Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Project for transboundary river basins (WEMAST), a project funded by the African Union Commission and European Commission partnership, provides data supporting decision-making on wetlands management. The Project dispenses near-real time satellite based data products through open-access geoportal.
Policy directions influence
On policy matters, the SASSCAL Interim Executive Director said the Namibian Water Sector Support Program (WSSP) was designed to cover critical, urgent water supply infrastructure development and sanitation activities prioritised from various studies by the Technical Committee of Experts (TCE) supporting the Cabinet Committee on water, established by Presidential order. Although he said this is a step in the right direction, Dr Tacheba was quick to point out that more must be done to ensure long-term water security.
“Such policy instruments need to be continuously supported by reliable and up-to-date information and data, and this is where SASSCAL comes in through Climate Change research to inform policy,” he added.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Panduleni Hamukwaya, Programme Coordinator for Namibia National Node said Namibia is proud to be an active founding member of SASSCAL. He said over the years, the SASSCAL sub-region has witnessed remarkable progress and growing impact of this regional institution especially in supporting research activities and capacity building for evidence-based decision-making and data-driven solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
At the national level, the Namibia Node enables and supports national research and stakeholder communities to interact with SASSCAL regional and international efforts on climate change, capacity development and demand driven science service provision. Mr Hamukwaya explained that the Thematic Workshop was a manifestation of shared commitment to advancing scientific research, policy dialogue, and innovation on sustainable land management and climate change for the benefit of the region’s communities and the sustainability of its natural resources.
“Therefore, this workshop offers us a golden opportunity to delve deeper into SASSCAL 2.0 thematic areas, to harmonize our perspectives, and to strengthen the foundations for impactful collaborative research. It is an opportunity also to ensure that the direction we take under SASSCAL 2.0 is firmly aligned with our national development priorities, including Vision 2030, the National Development Plans, and the Harambee Prosperity Plans,” he added.
Furthermore, the Namibian National Node Coordinator said while affirming commitments to global obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Sustainable Development Goals, there was need to prioritize action that supports climate resilience, sustainable land management, food and water security, and the protection of biodiversity areas that are essential to the wellbeing of people and the stability of economies.
The workshop brought together Principal Investigators, farmers, students, and researchers to showcase their work, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Zambia is next in line to report progress on its SASSCAL 2.0 Research Portfolio projects. The neighbouring country’s Thematic Workshop is slated for 20 – 21 May 2025.
