Water supply and its perceived impacts in Tulipamwe informal settlement of Eenhana in northern Namibia

Abstract

Water supply is one of the pressing challenges facing human settlements, especially informal ones. This paper aims to assess water supply in Tulipamwe informal settlement of Eenhana town in northern Namibia. Specifically, we explore the impact of water availability, accessibility and quality on local households and quality of life, as perceived by residents. The study employs a quantitative approach, using a structured questionnaire. We adopted simple random sampling to select 25 housing units for sampling. Of our respondents, 75% reported to have adequate water supply. The majority of the respondents’ households (95%) have access to taps (communal or private), while 5% rely on open water sources. Half of the respondents perceived water as clean, while almost half of the respondents perceived water cleanliness as either average (35%) or poor (10%). Viewed in a broader context, water supply in Tulipamwe is comparable to most informal settlements in Namibia and elsewhere in southern Africa. Our findings reaffirm the need for improved service delivery to people residing in informal settlements, both on a local and regional scale.