Namibia to finalise strategy on climate change

26 April 2010, New Era
URL: http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=10630

Windhoek:  Namibia is expected to finalise its country strategy in response to climate change and plan of action by June this year.  Minister of Environment and Tourism, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said only then can Cabinet decide on what laws to introduce with regard to climate change.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said government, for example, cannot compel new house owners to instal solar water heaters in their houses, without looking at the country’s capacity to do so. Hence, this is a complex process that needs careful thinking and decision-making.

Namibia shows significant vulnerability to climate change impact, with an economy strongly dependent on natural resources such as agriculture, water, fisheries and wildlife and nature-based tourism.

Predicted impact can have severe repercussions for economic development and sustainable livelihoods, hence the urgency of getting an adaptation and mitigation strategy in response to the phenomenon.

Under current climate, Namibia is subject to frequent and persistent dry periods, as well as erratic rainfall, and is considered naturally the most arid country in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Climate change is real, we are seeing it, in the north, in Windhoek because our summer is not so hot anymore, so all these are the impacts of climate change. We don’t know now how it will look like this winter,” the environment minister said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah urges government and the private sector to work together in order to handle the issue as a nation and not each in isolation.

She said government, as a policy maker, is facilitating a conducive environment for the private sector to operate.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also noted that Cabinet has made climate change a priority and has taken a decision that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s capacity must be strengthened, hoping to have a new structure in place before the end of the year.

“We are targeting to strengthen our capacity in order to provide leadership to the country in as far as climate change is concerned. We have a national steering committee that has been operating but not properly,” the minister revealed.

Cabinet has decided that the body be restructured so that it can be monitored and provide constant reports to Cabinet on issues related to climate change.

A one-day workshop is to be organised for Cabinet ministers, including the President, to understand how the country is coping with the impact of climate change.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the challenge for all developing countries is how to develop economically, in a sustainable manner, without depleting natural resources.

“The biggest challenge is energy because of human development processes such as industrialisation. The challenge for Namibia and others is that the industrial revolution is over but we have not yet started, that is why we are asking our developed counterparts to help us in order to adapt to new methods of industrialisation, which will not have the same impact on the atmosphere,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said at a breakfast meeting organised by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), Windhoek Branch.

The minister urged Namibian business people to use available funds that are related to financing climate change-related businesses, focusing on adaptation and mitigation issues.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said although the Copenhagen Accord does not pinpoint specific targets, especially coming from developed nations, they have pledged money to assist developing countries.

There are several funds that can be accessed but some of the funds are specifically targeted and a country like Namibia might not qualify for some of them, such as the ones for “least developed countries” because of its middle-income country status.

International funding avenues are related to supporting climate change, strategies, adaptation and mitigation measures.

The different funds that can be accessed are the Adaptation Fund, Green Technology Fund, Cool Earth Partnership, Environmental Transformation Fund, Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, Global Environmental Facility Trust Fund, Global Climate Change Alliance and the Millennium Development Achievement Fund, amongst others.

Some of the funds are multilateral - they can be sourced in partnership with the government, while there are also bilateral ones.

Namibia has projects with some of the funds such as the Cool Earth Partnership, which is funded by Japan, as well as with the MDG Achievement Fund.

Some funds are exclusive for the private sector and therefore Namibia’s private sector is expected to explore funding possibilities in an attempt to put mitigation activities in place.