Namibia launches project to enhance food security amid rising climate risks

WINDHOEK - Namibia on Tuesday launched a new adaptive agriculture initiative to strengthen the resilience of drought-affected farming communities and improve food security across five regions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Windhoek, Namibia's capital, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, executive director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, said the project will support vulnerable households in areas hit by growing climate variability, where prolonged droughts have threatened rural livelihoods and pushed an estimated 1.4 million people into food insecurity in 2023/2024.

She said that under the initiative, 6,000 women and youth-led households, representing about 24,000 individuals, will receive agricultural inputs, small livestock, and climate-smart technologies, including solar-powered irrigation, hydroponic systems, and shade-net structures.

Training will also be provided to 60 agricultural extension officers and 6,000 farmers to strengthen skills in climate-smart production and sustainable farming practices.

The project includes the development of regional drought action plans, aiming to improve early response capacity, risk management, and food security information systems across the country.

Nghituwamata said the program comes at an important time, even though the 2024/2025 rainy season has so far delivered adequate rainfall.

"These interventions reinforce long-term resilience among our farming communities and support national efforts to build a food-secure and climate-resilient Namibia," she said.