Staff Reporter
THE Tilda Viljoen Dam, which stood empty a year ago, has now surpassed the halfway mark, representing one of the most dramatic improvements in the country’s dam levels over the past year.
This was confirmed in the Hydrological Services of Namibia’s latest flood bulletin, which revealed that the Tilda Viljoen Dam recorded a water level of 50.4% on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.
However, the Tilda Viljoen Dam was not the only eastern dam to show strong gains. In fact, with the exception of the Otjivero Silt Dam, all key eastern dams recorded significant increases over the past year.
The Hydrological Services of Namibia confirmed that the Otjivero Main Dam rose from 2.9% on 24 February 2025 to 34.7% on 24 February 2026, while the Daan Viljoen Dam climbed from 10.2% to 64.1% over the same period. In contrast, the Otjivero Silt Dam declined from 4.7% to 2.7%.
Southern dams also recorded significant improvements, with both the Hardap Dam and the Naute Dam more than doubling their storage levels.
According to the Hydrological Services of Namibia, the Hardap Dam increased from 23.2% to 55.2% between 24 February 2025 and 24 February 2026, while the Naute Dam climbed sharply from 33.7% to 79.5% over the same period. Meanwhile, the Neckartal Dam reached 96.6% capacity on 24 February 2026, up from 81.2% a year earlier, and the Oanob Dam rose from 33.2% to 60.6% over the same period.
The Dreihuk Dam more than tripled its water level, rising from 4.9% on 24 February 2025 to 18.1% on the same date this year.
However, the eastern and southern dams were not the only ones to record dramatic increases over the past year; central dams also posted impressive gains. The Von Bach Dam was among the most notable, rising from 27.3% on 24 February 2025 to 73.1% on 24 February 2026.
Other central dams’ water capacities also rose between 24 February 2025 and 24 February 2026. These include the Swakoppoort Dam, which increased from 33.5% to 79.9%, as well as the Friedenau Dam, which rose from 46.8% to 52.6%.
In the north, the Olushandja Dam also showed notable improvement, increasing from 48.8% on 24 February 2025 to 61.7% on the same date this year.
Despite the overall positive trend — particularly emphasised by the turnaround at Tilda Viljoen Dam from 0% to over 50% — several dams remain empty, including the Bondels Dam, the Omaruru Delta Dam and the Omatjenne Dam.
Photo: Shaun Asprilla Gariseb-Vision
