Namibia PDNA 2009 - GFDRR

Executive Summary
In March 2009, flooding, caused by heavy rainfalls in the region, affected six Regions in northern Namibia (Caprivi, Kavango, Oshana,
Oshikoto, Ohangwena, and Omusati) 1 . The 2009 flood is the second such event in two years, following three years of successive low
rainfall events. Flood waters surged to near record, overtopping roads and washing out local routes. As a consequence, commercial
and industrial activities were disrupted. Local access to health facilities and schools was cut off, urban sewage systems overflowed with
the inundation of water supply and sewage stations, and electricity provision was compromised. Overall, the entire economy in the
area was disrupted for almost three months and trade routes were severely interrupted.
The floods affected a particularly
vulnerable portion of the population; onethird
of the country’s poor live in the six
affected Regions. Most live in rural areas,
and their income is highly dependent on
subsistence farming. Many farmers lost
the majority of their annual harvest as
well as their livestock, jeopardizing their
income and food sources. Many rural
residents, as well as urban dwellers, lost
their homes to the floods; in some cases
houses made of mud simply washed
away with the floods.
The 2009 floods were the second
natural disaster to occur in as many
years. Following relatively frequent
flooding in the 1960s and 1970s,
Namibia had enjoyed several years with
relatively little flooding. The past \years
has seen a reversal in that trend, with
flooding occurring in 2004 and 2008,
and culminating with near record water
levels in the 2009 floods.
Figure 1: High flood waters in the 2009 floods
Damage and Losses
In the aftermath of the disaster, the Government of the Republic of Namibia requested a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA)
to assess the level of damages and losses incurred as a result of the flooding, and to provide a preliminary assessment of recovery
and reconstruction options that could provide the affected population with a safer environment in the face of future natural events
such as droughts and floods.
1 Floods and the resulting direct damage and indirect losses also occurred in other areas in 2009. The focus of this assessment, however, is on
the areas that the Government of the Republic of Namibia declared to be in a state of emergency.
x
Namibia POST-DISASTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT