Staff Reporter
WATER availability in the //Kharas Region has been highlighted as the primary technical constraint for green hydrogen development, with coastal areas supported by desalination and locations near the Neckartal Dam emerging as the most feasible sites for electrolysis facilities, while inland areas remain more constrained and vulnerable to cumulative pressures.
This was highlighted in the recently released Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) for Green Energy Production and Industrialisation in the Southern Corridor Development Initiative (SCDI). The assessment provides a strategic, national-level overview of the environmental risks, constraints and opportunities associated with Namibia’s emerging green hydrogen sector.
“Green hydrogen production is water-intensive, requiring a reliable supply for electrolysis and cooling, with total raw water demand substantially exceeding the volume required for high-purity electrolysis due to treatment losses,” the report highlights.
The report notes that, while seawater desalination is expected to serve as the primary water source for green hydrogen projects, additional abstraction from regulated systems such as the Neckartal Dam — subject to further feasibility assessments — and groundwater use for construction activities, dust suppression and workforce needs could place further pressure on already limited freshwater resources.
“Infrastructure development may also disrupt hydrological processes by altering ephemeral drainage lines, compacting soils, reducing infiltration, and increasing runoff and erosion, particularly in inland areas with low hydrological resilience. Where desalination is employed, marine impacts associated with brine discharge, thermal and chemical changes, and nearshore construction activities require careful management in ecologically sensitive coastal environments,” the report continues.
The report explains that, at the strategic level, water-related impacts are unlikely to be driven by individual projects alone, but rather by the cumulative effects of multiple developments concentrated within technically favourable zones.
“Over time, combined abstraction, infrastructure proliferation and hydrological modification may intensify regional water stress, heighten competition among industrial, agricultural and municipal users, and reduce system resilience to drought and climate variability,” the report adds.
The report notes that impacts on water resources are most significant where developments rely on shared freshwater sources, are located in areas with low aquifer potential, or disrupt key hydrological processes. This reinforces the need for avoidance-led spatial planning, integrated water resource management and strong cumulative impact governance at both strategic planning and project levels.
“Climate change is expected to further increase water sensitivity across the region by intensifying drought frequency, raising evaporation rates, and increasing uncertainty in long-term supply reliability. Rising temperatures increase atmospheric moisture demand, accelerating evaporation and evapotranspiration from soils, surface water bodies, and vegetation, which reduces effective water availability even in the absence of significant declines in rainfall. In arid and semi-arid systems such as the //Kharas Region, this effect is particularly pronounced, as limited rainfall and low groundwater recharge already constrain baseline water availability,” the report warns.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
