NBL backs Swakop water project
Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) has committed N$13 million over five years to improve water security and climate resilience in the Swakop River Basin, as pressure on Namibia’s limited water resources grows.
The project, running from 2026 to 2030, will be implemented by WWF Namibia in partnership with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) and the City of Windhoek under the Swakop Basin Collective Action Project, also known as the NBL Water Balancing Project.
The initiative aims to deliver about 386 million litres in annual water benefits by 2030 through interventions in the upper Swakop catchment, including managed aquifer recharge, the removal of invasive alien plants and measures to improve groundwater recharge and water quality.
The project will also support the development of a sub-basin water allocation and abstraction plan and restore or improve the management of 153 hectares of land.
The projected annual water benefit is equivalent to more than 150 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Waldemar von Lieres, managing director of NBL, said the investment extended the company’s water stewardship efforts beyond its brewery operations.
“Our ambition is to lead by example in water stewardship, inside our brewery and beyond,” he said.
NBL has invested more than N$35 million in reducing its water footprint since 2015 and has improved its water efficiency by 30% since 2024, according to the company.
In 2025, the brewer used 3.56 litres of water for every litre of product produced. It aims to reduce this to 2.4 litres by 2030 under its Brew a Better Namibia strategy.
The company, which is part of HEINEKEN, said the latest investment recognised the importance of protecting the wider catchment areas on which communities, businesses and ecosystems depend.
The Swakop River Basin is an important water source for communities, agriculture, industry and towns across central Namibia. Growing demand, recurring droughts and climate change are putting increasing pressure on available water resources.
Teofilus Nghitila, executive director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, said partnerships were important in strengthening the country’s water security.
“The Government of Namibia remains committed to strengthening water security and climate resilience through sustainable water resource management,” he said.
The project supports government efforts to improve integrated water resource management through collaboration between public institutions, businesses, civil society and water users.
Its planned interventions are intended to improve the sustainable management of the basin while supporting the needs of both communities and the natural environment.
