The Namibian Annual Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment identified over 87,000 people in the Kunene region as being at extreme risk of food insecurity.
Motivating the report of the Kunene regional council, UDF MP and councillor of Khorixas Constituency, Eddie Nanub, thus called on the government to invest decisively in climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
Nanub recommended that the misalignment between the financial years of local authorities and that of central government be addressed by harmonising them.
He, however, commended the government's drought relief programme, which benefited 35 thousand households in the region.
"But it is not sustainable. We must invest in long-term climate resilience. The challenges, Honourable Members, we cannot ignore the obstacles that slow our focus, and I would outline them. Inequitable finding, our vastness demands on resources. Difficult terrains, long distances and rough roads increase costs and delays. Slow procurement. Capacity constraints delay project execution. Late budget approvals will lose critical amounts of implementation, Honourable Members. Misaligned financial years like local authorities operate on a different circle than the government."
Nanub also informed the house that over 160 households were electrified across Khorixas, Opuwo, Kamanjab and other areas through 5 comma 2 million in investments.
Other MPs also made recommendations.
The Councillor for Okahao Constituency, Erickson Ndawanifa, stated, "We are accountable to the public to say that provided that the budgets that have been given are those years we have got a national measure that has to measure our service delivery. So what is the audit opinion this particular region has received from the audit agenda in terms of service delivery?"
"What can we do? Sometimes we submit those planning, the National Planning Commission, through those. Yeah, but things are not coming through. Maybe just because it's with Kunene, or maybe it's done like that. But we are trying in the future not to rely on the government as much as we do now," highlighted Daniel Kuuoko, Councillor of the Epupa Constituency.
"The Kunene region has been known as a nomadic region. People were depending much on livestock. And the level of education – most of the majority are illiterate. Therefore, they were just depending on livestock, and the drought was severely hitting us. Then the situation is not improving at all. We're just getting worse every day," added Councillor for Opuwo Urban Constituency, Ueutjerevi Ngunaihe.
"My recommendation is to delve into the mining and the tourism sector because of the opportunities available," contributed Piniel Pakarae, councillor of Epukiro, Piniel Pakarae.