World Water day highlights job creation
Due to the current drought which poses a great threat to the business sector and civilians, water is a very serious issue in Namibia.
The Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group said that World Water Day, which is commemorated annually on 22 March, should serve as a reminder that water is a precious resource that impacts on our ability to create jobs and drive the economy.
As declared by the United Nations, the theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Water and Jobs’. O&L Group Environmental Manager, Gloudi de Beer said, “Never before in the history of Namibia has this relationship been in the spotlight more than it’s been over the past few months due to the current drought. World Water Day should inspire people everywhere to care more about this gift of life, and should revive everyone’s will to make a difference, and to save as much as we can.”
According to the UN, this year the focus will be on the impact that water has in contributing to job creation, as water is a prerequisite to all economic activity. De Beer said that Namibia is no exception as every sector of the economy is directly or indirectly reliant on water.
“A clean and reliable water supply is the foundation of a growing economy and healthy society, and once this supply is interrupted or dries up, it will have a ripple effect on the community. This includes businesses closing down; people losing jobs, and thousands of families going hungry. We already see food prices increasing, due to the drought. With this in mind, the O&L Group, in light of its purpose of ‘Creating a future, Enhancing life’ has committed itself to minimize consumption and save water as far as possible, without compromising on the quality of its products,” she said.
The O&L Group has implemented various measures across its operations, to improve water efficiency. As water is a necessity, alternative water sources have been investigated and identified, and will be utilized within the next three months where possible. Each business within the group has been engaged in a business continuity planning process over the past six months in order to ensure that our operations can continue as far as possible, without compromising the supply to the community.
Since last year, O&L has been continuously engaging with various government levels in order to ensure that we understand the current crisis and have constantly communicated with O&L employees in order to ensure that they instil a culture of saving within the business.
“We commend the City of Windhoek for its efforts in encouraging the saving of water. What Namibia needs right now, is for every single person in this country to commit to this call. And to be aligned with the importance of saving every possible drop, because we could run completely dry soon – not a good thing for the future of this country,” de Beer concluded.
