The Coca-Cola system says it is investing $1.22 million in a water security project in Namibia to address recurring droughts and growing pressure on the country’s water resources.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said the project was designed to improve water availability and restore ecosystems in the Swakop River Basin.

Known as the Gam-i Swakop Basin Resilience Project, the initiative will also involve drilling two boreholes to support groundwater recharge in the Windhoek aquifer and developing a water resilience action plan.

The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Namibia.

It stated, “The project includes the construction of two sand storage dams, restoration of 235 hectares of land through the clearing of invasive alien plants, and the planting of 750 trees in river buffer zones and environmentally degraded areas within Windhoek’s informal settlements.”

According to the company, the investment forms part of its Africa Water Stewardship Initiative, launched in 2024, targeting water-related challenges in 20 African countries by 2030.

The initiative represents an investment of nearly $25 million across the continent.

The Vice President of East and Central Africa Operations at Coca-Cola, Alfred Olajide, said the company’s approach to water security focused on local action and collaboration.

“Because water challenges are local, our approach to water security is focused on local action and collaboration. The Coca‑Cola system remains focused on helping to promote water stewardship, increasing water use efficiency, and treating and returning safe water to communities,” he said.

Similarly, General Manager of Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company (CCNBC), Henry Friedrich, said the company had a responsibility to assist communities facing water scarcity and protect local water resources.

The WWF Namibia Country Director, Juliane Zeidler, said the project would demonstrate how investment in healthy ecosystems could benefit communities and strengthen their resilience to future climate pressures.

“This project is an opportunity to demonstrate how investing in healthy ecosystems can deliver tangible benefits for people, while also helping communities become more resilient to future climate pressures. 

“We hope the lessons and partnerships developed through this initiative can inform similar approaches elsewhere in the country.”