Uran mining in Namibia: Threat for vital water resources!

Uran mining in Namibia: Threat for vital water resources!

Leonardville, Namibia - Russian uranium hunt in Namibia: Water in danger!

In Namibia it is bubbling! The Russian company Rosatom plans to reduce uranium in the remote Leonardville municipality, and that could have catastrophic consequences for the region's water resources. Teacher Impo Gift Kapamba Musasa points to his garden, which is irrigated from one of the largest aquifers in the earth. This water source is of crucial not only for the residents, but also for agriculture in Kalahari. But the view of uranium reduction not only brings hope for prosperity, but also massive fears of water pollution and the loss of the livelihood.

Rosatom, a giant in the uranium industry, has increasingly invested in Namibia in recent years after the country had lifted a moratorium for uranium reduction in 2017. The controversial method of "in situ" mining, in which a solution with sulfuric acid is injected into the Aquifer, ensures concern. Agriculture Minister Calle Schlettwein warns that Rosatom's activities could endanger the groundwater supplies in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. "The economic basis of the entire region could be destroyed," he said in the National Assembly.

political influence and local reactions

The Situation escalates! Rosatom is accused of leading an influencing campaign in Namibia by inviting government officials and journalists to Russia. While some villagers hope for the promised jobs, there are also growing resistance to uranium reduction. Land owners and activists demand that the dangers of water supply be taken seriously. "If uranium reduction is approved, the water in the region could be inedible," warned Piet Gouws, former President of the Namibian Agriculture Union.

The villagers of Leonardville live in a tense reality: high unemployment, rising crime and the constant struggle for water and food shape their everyday life. The hope of uranium reduction could be the only chance of a better life for many, but the price could be high. "We cannot survive without water and food," emphasizes Minister Schlettwein, while the future of water in Namibia is on the brink.