Local Ingenuity in the Kunene: Community-Led Canal Construction Brings Water Home

In the remote reaches of Namibia’s northwestern frontier, where the arid land meets the winding Kunene River, a remarkable story of resilience and innovation is unfolding. A community in the Kunene Region has taken water management into its own hands—constructing a canal from the Kunene River to bring life-sustaining water directly to their homes.

This initiative is more than just a technical solution. It is a powerful example of community-based water management in one of the most challenging environments in southern Africa.

A cow drinks from a community-built canal channeling water from the Kunene River—an example of grassroots water management supporting both people and livestock in Namibia’s arid northwest. Photo credit: Dr. Josefina Hamutoko, University of Namibia.

Understanding the Geographic Context

The Kunene Region is known for its striking landscapes, cultural richness, and climatic harshness. Characterized by:

• An arid to semi-arid climate, with low and unreliable rainfall,

• The Kunene River, one of Namibia’s few perennial water sources, forming the northern border with Angola,

• A sparse population—including Himba and Herero communities who often maintain semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyles,

• Persistent challenges in water access, shaped by difficult terrain and climate variability.

In such a context, fetching water often means hours of walking under intense sun—especially for women and children. The decision to construct a canal represents a profound shift in local water access and autonomy.

Why This Matters: The Implications of Canal Construction

1. Adapting to Environmental Constraints

This canal is a homegrown adaptation strategy—an embodiment of what geographers call possibilism, where people shape their futures despite environmental constraints. Rather than being limited by the dry climate, the community has actively altered their relationship with their surroundings.

2. Managing Hydrological Realities

While the Kunene River provides a reliable water source, careful planning is crucial. Seasonal changes, upstream-downstream dynamics, and long-term sustainability all affect how much water can be withdrawn. Moreover, in hot climates like Kunene, unlined canals risk significant water loss through seepage and evaporation.

3. Rooted in Culture and Community

For the Himba and other local groups, water is more than a necessity—it is deeply woven into cultural practices and settlement patterns. Building and maintaining a canal requires collective decision-making, drawing on traditional knowledge, cooperation, and a shared sense of responsibility.

4. Political and Legal Dimensions

The Kunene River is not just local—it’s international. Namibia and Angola both rely on its waters. Under international agreements like the UN Watercourses Convention, any diversion must consider cross-border impacts. This adds a layer of diplomatic complexity to even small-scale community projects.

5. Development Through Grassroots Action

This initiative reflects a bottom-up approach to development, where communities are not passive recipients but active shapers of their destinies. Access to water not only improves health and dignity—it can boost agricultural productivity, reduce migration pressure, and encourage more permanent settlements.

A Broader Pattern in Kunene

Namibia has long recognized the Kunene River’s potential, with large-scale proposals like the Epupa and Baynes hydroelectric dams, as well as rural water supply schemes. But what makes this canal special is that it wasn't driven by top-down planning or foreign investment—it was initiated by the community itself.

This echoes the ethos of C-WIN: that lasting water solutions emerge from empowered communities, informed by local knowledge and supported by collaborative partnerships.

Looking Ahead

The Kunene community's canal project is an inspiring reminder of what is possible when necessity meets determination. As climate change continues to intensify water insecurity across Namibia and the wider region, locally driven, culturally sensitive, and environmentally smart solutions like this must be celebrated—and supported.

At C-WIN, we are proud to share and uplift such stories of resilience and innovation. Because when communities lead, water follows.

Photo and story contributed by: Dr. Josefina Hamutoko, University of Namibia