While the widespread natural deserts and resources of Namibia often seem boundless, they are constantly being impacted in ways that highlight the importance of conservation and proactive management.
This was perhaps the key theme running through the second National Integrated State of the Environment Report (ISOER) for Namibia, which was formally launched recently by Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. It was compiled by SRK Consulting (South Africa) in collaboration with Namibian consultancy Urban Dynamics and published late last year.
“The 2021 ISOER demonstrates how the country has progressed in managing its natural resources since 2004 while minimising the environmental impacts of wastes and disasters generated by human and economic activity,” said Shifeta in his preface to the report. “Based on a core set of indicators, the report highlights environmental performance areas where Namibia is doing well and places a
spotlight on areas where the country can perform better.”
He noted that the 2021 ISOER featured priority areas that require urgent and proactive attention to reverse negative biophysical or socio-economic trends, saying that positive change was possible through strong partnership and collective action by stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
The report considered the ‘status quo’ of various elements of the environment, from
physical and biological environments to waste management and human settlements. Interventions made to date were discussed, and ways forward proposed.
Among the range of issues is climate change, which was projected to raise temperatures by 1.2°C in the south-west and by 2.8°C in the north-east by 2065 – leading to greater variability in annual rainfall.
Read the full article in Namibia Economist
