An Assessment of Water Accessibility in the Kuvukiland Informal Settlement of Tsumeb in Namibia

Challenges of water supply in informal settlements have been observed in different parts of the world. This study evaluates accessibility to water in the Kuvukiland informal settlement. The study employed two methods: a semi structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 50 respondents in the Kuvukiland informal settlement, and the in-depth interviews were carried out with five key informants. The findings suggest that access to water in informal settlements is a challenge, because more than half of the population in Kuvukiland live more than a kilometre from the water points. Further findings also show that affordability is a critical issue, because the more than half of the population are unemployed, and as a result they cannot afford to pay for water. Finally the findings are that, water supply in Kuvukiland does not follow an integrated water resource management approach. In addition, there is poor community involvement, and stakeholder participation is weak.