The WaMiSAR project has recently completed a productive series of sampling campaigns in Namibia. These field efforts, conducted in Rosh Pinah and Tsumeb (Namibia), are part of ongoing research to develop sustainable water management solutions for arid and semi-arid regions.

These field campaigns followed the WASA Kick-off Conference in Stellenbosch (South Africa), where the WaMiSAR project was presented to German and African government representatives and stakeholders (Fig. 1). This event launched the main phase of the WASA R&D programme, bringing together experts from Germany and the southern African region to work on solutions for water security. For WaMiSAR was a valuable chance to share the project goals with key stakeholders and researchers of other WASA projects, and to highlight the project’s role in addressing water challenges across the Southern African region. More information on all seven WASA projects can be found on the WASA-website and in the programme publication.

The event also brought together the WaMiSAR team from Germany, Namibia and South Africa for a fruitful Kick-off meeting. (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1: (a) Prof. Stefan Norra (University of Potsdam) presents the WaMiSAR project at the WASA conference (Photo: F. Digiacomo) and (b) group photo of the WaMiSAR team (Photo: WASANet). Stellenbosch, September 2024 .

Fig. 2: WaMiSAR-team at the Kick-off meeting, Stellenbosch, September 2024 (Photo: WaMiSAR).

Following the WASA conference, the WaMiSAR team split into two teams in order to carry out simultaneous sampling at two project sites in Namibia. Representatives from KIT, the University of Potsdam, Aquantec and Hydroisotop had the opportunity to visit the Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation (Pty) Ltd mining site in southern Namibia. Working closely with the environmental specialists from the local mining company, the WaMiSAR team collected water and sediment samples and visited key sites such as the mine residue deposit and the mining area (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: WaMiSAR-team during the water sampling campaign at the Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation mining site. Rosh Pinah, October 2024 (Photo: (a) F. Digiacomo and (b) K-G. Richter).

In parallel, a second team of project memebers from TZW, the University of Potsdam and Sensatec carried out similar water and sediment sampling at Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter (Pty) Ltd, Tsumeb in northern Namibia. Supported by the local staff, the WaMiSAR team worked hard to collect water and soil samples in the mining area (Fig. 4a). Water samples were analysed on site for parameters such as temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, alkalinity, nitrate, nitrite, total iron and sulfate concentrations. Additional biological and chemical analyses will be carried out in the laboratories of the participating institutes in Germany. As a final event, on Friday 4 October, the two teams gathered in Tsumeb for an extensive site visit, where they had the opportunity to visit the local tailings dump and the surrounding areas of the mine (Fig. 4b).

The WaMiSAR project continues to foster international collaboration, promoting innovative solutions for water management in resource- limited environments through rigorous research and active engagement with local mine companies and stakeholders.

Fig. 4: (a) WaMiSAR-team during the water sampling campaign at the Tsumeb mining site and (b) at the end of the field campaign. Tsumeb, October 2024 (Photos: WaMiSAR).