One year ahead of the project’s finalization, a trip to Namibia advanced the establishment of a Multi-Scale Water Reuse Strategy for Namibia under the WaReNam Project. From June 8 to 17, 2026, a delegation of WaReNam partners from the Institute for Social-Economic Research (ISOE), the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUDa), and the Emschergenossenschaft-Lippeverband (EGLV) visited Namibia. The visit enabled progress in pilot plant development, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, the exchange between Namibian and German WaReNam partners helped identify and overcome current project bottlenecks.
The first key event was the 7th WaReNam Consortium Meeting on June 9 in Windhoek. The project partners shared updates and discussed cross-cutting activities. The meeting enabled the identification of current challenges and provided a roadmap for the remaining project year. Bringing together WaReNam partners facilitated a dialogue for the successful synthesis of project outcomes.
The second key event was the 3rd Round Table Discussion on June 11 in Windhoek. The Round Table brought together diverse stakeholders, from landscaping and agricultural to industrial stakeholders, as well as researchers. Stakeholders discussed proposed regulatory requirements, monitoring, and compliance practices. The Round Table discussion represented a major step in improving and developing a Namibian National Water Reuse Policy by identifying stakeholders’ and practitioners’ challenges and necessities.
The 3rd Steering Committee Meeting on June 16 was hosted by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Windhoek. The discussions during the Steering Committee Meeting reinforced the pathway toward a Namibian Water Reuse Policy. Furthermore, the meeting enabled the exchange of implemented task forces, which are part of a suggested governance approach within the governance work package led by ISOE.
Emschergenossenschaft-Lippeverband (EGLV), one of WaReNam’s core partners, led a training week in June 2026 in Okahandja and Windhoek, together with the NamWater Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC), aiming to develop job profiles. The training week contributed to capacity development in response to an identified skills gap from the initial project phase.
The technical project partner TUDa conducted a site visit of the pilot plant in Walvis Bay, advancing its development. Furthermore, a visit to the demonstration plant in Oshakati, in northern Namibia, initiated an important next step in the fit-for-purpose technology development by implementing the trickling filter system and starting plant operation. The next step includes monitoring the reuse water quality as the microorganisms develop their cleaning potential. Additionally, the visit contributed to a continuous plant handover, beginning with the plant operation, and an organized workshop that brought together WaReNam partners and local actors in Oshakati.
The German delegation of the WaReNam project returned safely and is looking forward to the next face-to-face exchange with their Namibian partners to collaborate and exchange knowledge.