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Coastal Environment Week 2011 highlighted Namibia’s unique
coastal biodiversity

The nearly 15 events, which were staged at Swakopmund and Walvis Bay from 3 – 8 June as part of Coastal Environment Week, echoed along the central Namibian coast the theme: We care for the coast. Do you?. The week also coincided with World Environment Day of 5 June and World Oceans Day on 8 June.

Various concerned coastal stakeholders from the tourism, mining, fishing, government sectors and schools participated in a successful attempt to raise further awareness and education on the conservation of the natural resources as well as sustainable development along the central Namibian coast and the recently launched Dorob National Park, between the Kuiseb Delta and the Ugab River.

Proceedings started on Friday morning, 3 June with a with a Bird Watch Day for learners at the Walvis Bay Lagoon, which Rössing Uranium Ltd/Rio Tinto arranged very successfully. Mr. Rod Braby, the Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project, addressed the about 60 learners from various schools on the importance of the Walvis Bay wetlands as a Ramsar site. The learners were then taught the different bird identification techniques, observed and studied the various species to be found there.

On the same day a group of nearly 40 underprivileged children were taken by Catamaran Charters and Levo Tours on an marine boat tour from Walvis Bay and were shown and educated about the various marine and bird species to be found in the bay area.

Members of the public who did their shopping on the morning of Saturday, 4 June in the city centre of Walvis Bay had to take note of the procession of floats and people with banners of about 700 meters that moved along its main street, Sam Nujoma Avenue. Various participants from mines, fishing companies and government demonstrated their solidarity regarding the conservation of Namibia’s coast.

On the evening of Saturday, 4 June a Fund-raising Gala Dinner was held at the Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre, which was attended by nearly 130 people. A total of about N$60,000 was generated by means of the sale of  tables, the auction of valuable items and pledges. Walvis Bay Salt pledged an amount of N$10,000, the Hardap Regional Council N$5,000,  Bannerman Resources N$5,000, Namport N$5,000 and Swakop Uranium N$3,000. The income will go towards a Coastal Environment Scholarship Fund. The Atlantic Singers from Walvis Bay and George Longane from South Africa provided the entertainment.

A very auspicious part of the gala dinner was the announcement of the Honorary Coastodian Awards by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Individuals who in their particular and unique way contributed to the conservation and sustainable use of the coast’s natural resources over a long period of time, got acknowledged as Honorary Coastodians. This year the Honourable Governor of the Hardap Region Katrina Magdalena Hanse-Himarwa; Dr. Mary Seely of the Desert Research Foundation; the late Mrs. Berdine Potgieter of the Swakopmund Municipality; and Mr. Des Erasmus of Republikein, were the recipients of this prestigious award

Two internationally acclaimed environmental films, Oceans and Earth as well as the local film The Namibian Coast, were screened free of charge for the at the Atlanta Cinema at the Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre from 3 until the 7 June, which was made possible by the kind sponsorship of Namsov Fishing Enterprises from Walvis Bay. All screenings were well attended, especially those on 6 and 7 June for learners, when Mrs. Marcia Stanton, chairperson of the Namibia Coastal Cleanup Forum did a thought-provoking presentation on, The Namibian Coast, we care do you?,prior to the screenings.

Learning Rights Kiddies Centre (LKRC) toddlers don't tolerate littering

The Learning Right Kiddies Centre in the coastal town of Swakopmund held their beach cleanup day last Saturday, 05 February 2011, which was made possible by the support of NACOMA, Langer Heinrich and Catering Out There.
 
A total of 60 children from the pre-primary school guided by parents and their teachers were led by Ms. Hilda Meyer, owner and principal of the school, as they playfully gathered litter along the prominent beach stretch between Vineta and the Mole.  The beach cleanup was part of the school’s early childhood awareness on littering and pollution, as participating children were as young as two (2) years of age.

The children were thereafter spoiled with more playful time in the portable kiddy pools and jumping castles. Parents could socialize around barbecue stands doing it the Namibian way of “braai” a supple mutton chop and a sausage with salad and our popular “roster brood”.

Office of the Permanent Secretary

The Namibian Coast is placed under total conservation

With the declaration of the Dorob National Park on 1 December 2010 the last piece of the puzzle has finally been laid into place, thus converting the total Namibian coast into the eighth largest protected area in the world and the largest park in Africa – called the Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park.

The fact that the Government of the Republic of Namibia declared this last section of the Namibian coastline as a national park during 2010, being the International Year of Biodiversity, underlines the country’s role and commitment towards global, regional and national conservation and sustainable development.

The Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park stretches along the total length of the Namibian coastline of 1 570 km, covering an area of 10 754 million hectares or 107 540 km2. It comprises four main terrestrial Management Areas, the Sperrgebiet National Park in the south, the Namib-Naukluft Park, the Skeleton Coast Park and now the Dorob National Park. At its narrowest the park extends about 25 km inland and at its widest in the Namib Naukluft Park reaches about 180 km inland.

The proclamation of this protected area represents one of Namibia’s greatest conservation achievements since its Independence in 1990, and one of the most significant developments in the history of conservation in this country.  The park will also not exist in isolation as it borders on the Richtersveld in South Africa, the Iona National Park in Angola and various communal conservancies inland.

Gazetting of Dorob National Park

According the Notice No. 266 in the Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia of 1 December 2010, the Dorob National Park was declared as a game park in terms of section 14 (2) of the Nature Conservation Ordinance, 1975 (Ordinance No. 4 of 1975).

The Ministry, through the Namibian Coast Conservation Management Project (NACOMA) had consultations with various stakeholders in the Erongo Region to come up with an appropriate name for the park.  The Topnaar Traditional Authority proposed the name Dorob National Park, which was acceptable to all stakeholders.  Dorob means dry land.  According to the oral history of the desert people in the 16th century, the area between Lüderitz and Walvis Bay and up to the Kunene River was known as Doro-IHub or Dry Land.

The central coast is one of Namibia’s most important tourist and holiday destinations. Some visitors to the coast still have a perception that the entire central area of the coast is available for off-road vehicle recreation. 

Although numerous areas were specifically zoned for off-road driving under this Ordinance, people still chose to use vehicles outside of these areas. Information brochures that provided guidance on the areas that could be utilized by off-road driving enthusiasts were continuously disseminated over the last 5 years, particularly over holidays.  However, these materials were widely ignored resulting in immense destruction to the environment.

Under section 95(l) of the Namibian Constitution, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has the obligation to maintain “ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future.”In order to begin restoration of the coastal environment and its biological diversity, Cabinet decided to declare and gazette the central Namibian coast as Dorob National Park.

The Dorob National Park extends southwards from the Ugab River to where it intersects the northern boundary of the Namib Naukluft Park. Its western boundary is determined by the low water mark intersecting the Atlantic Ocean and its eastern border runs along the eastern boundary of the old National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area and the Walvis Bay Magisterial District boundary. It excludes all towns, railways, major, minor and district roads and their reserves and privately owned land.

Implications of gazetting of the Dorob National Park

The Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975 was promulgated in order to serve as a legal framework for nature conservation in Namibia, including park management. This ordinance is applicable to all parks of Namibia, including the newly gazetted Dorob National Park.  The enforcement of this Act is facilitated by a set of generic regulations, which will be implemented to ensure sound management of the Dorob National Park until the specific draft regulations for the Dorob National Park are gazetted.

Joint staff from the local authorities, NAMPOL and MFMR worked together with MET officers in a combined law enforcement/ crime prevention effort. The results were a much quieter season especially around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. MET staff issued 145 fines on the Erongo coast, MFMR and NAMPOL also issued many fines. It is clear that regulations need to be finalized, a park budget approved and an office in Henties Bay may be necessary.  Similarly, the MET is looking forward to implementation of the Environmental Management Act and the Protected Area and Wildlife Management Acts. We urge our officers to be courteous and firm and give guidance and advice to the general public.

Namibian coast celebrates importance of its three coastal Ramsar sites on 2 February 2011

The importance of the Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour and the Walvis Bay Wetland as internationally important conservation and eco-tourism sites will be placed in the limelight this year when Namibia joins in to celebrate World Wetlands Day and the 40th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, on 2 February 2011.

Namibia became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention in 1995. This convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. It works towards stemming the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands. It recognizes the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.

The participating nations established the Ramsar Convention at Ramsar in Iran on 2 February 1971. The convention has 160 contracting parties. Signatories meet every three years as the Conference of the Contracting Parties. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance now includes 1,911 sites (known as Ramsar sites) covering around 186 950 196 hectares.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2 February as part of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and to promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

Until now the Walvis Bay Wetland, Sandwich Harbour and the Orange River Mouth are the only proclaimed Ramsar sites along the Namibian coast.

The Walvis Bay Wetland is considered the most important coastal wetland in Southern Africa and one of the top three in Africa. This wetland includes the lagoon, supporting more than 40 wetland bird species, as well as mudflats, shoreline, saltpans and sewage ponds. During summer it supports up to 250 000 birds and winter about 80 to 100 000 birds.

This Ramsar site on a regular basis supports more than one percent of the world population of 18 species of water birds. It also supports 65 – 70 percent of Chestnut-banded Plovers, 70 percent of Greater Flamingo, 65 percent of Lesser Flamingos and 40 percent of Black-necked Grebes worldwide. The Walvis Bay Wetland is an important nursery area for young African Black Oystercatchers.

The Sandwich Harbour Ramsar site within the Namib-Naukluft Park consists of a shallow lagoon, a salt marsh and intertidal mudflats to its north, which supports freshwater vegetation (37 species) and wetlands birds (4 000 – 5 500). The southern a section of 20 km2 unvegetated tidal mudflat supporting up to 175 000 birds, mainly waders, terns, pelicans and flamingos. Also 26 species of fish and red data birds can be found at Sandwich Harbour.

The Orange River Mouth became a Ramsar site in 1991. It covers 2 000 ha extending from the sea to the Ernest Oppenheimer bridge. It supports up to 60 bird species. Cormorant numbers declined sharply since the 1980s to the degradation of the salt marsh due to mining and road building activities.             

Etosha is the only inland-proclaimed international Ramsar Site.

The Kunene River Mouth, within the Skeleton Coast National Park, is the second richest coastal wetland for birds in Namibia where 72 species of wetland birds, including 12 Namibian Red Data Species, can be found. The Kunene River Mouth could in the future be considered for the declaration as a Ramsar site.

Other important wetland sites along the Namibian coast, which supports wetland birds and other species, are the Cape Cross Lagoons, the Mile 4 salt works, Swakop River Mouth Lagoon and the Lüderitz Lagoon.

By joining the Ramsar Convention Namibia has committed itself to work actively to support: ensuring the conservation and wise use of wetlands it has designated as Wetlands of International Importance; including as far as possible the wise use of all wetlands in national environmental planning; and consulting with other countries about the implementation of the Convention, especially with regard to trans-boundary wetlands, shared water systems, and shared species.

Namibian Coastal Cleanup Forum arranges three national coastal events for 2011

The recently established Namibian Coastal Cleanup Forum, a voluntary organization consisting of concerned coastal stakeholders, is arranging three national cleanup events for the Namibian coast this year.

The Namibian Coastal Cleanup Forum was established at Walvis Bay on 25 October 2010. During its first meeting last Wednesday (19 January 2011) at Swakopmund, the forum’s elected committee decided to direct part of its efforts towards three events initially: International Coastal Cleanup Day (24 September), International Environment Week (4 – 10 June) and an event prior to the December holiday season (7 – 12 November).

Mrs. Marcia Stanton, elected chairperson, said the Namibian Coastal Cleanup Forum (NCCF) would like to promote and ensure a cleaner Namibian coastline on a national level. She said the NCCF would not be acting to take over any cleanup activities already performed by institutions or organizations that arrange ongoing cleanups. “The NCCF is a voluntary forum that aims to raise awareness and education among all Namibians and foreigners to participate in keeping our coastline clean. We are obligated individually and collectively to take responsibility against littering for the sake of the environment and current and future generations.” 

The specific objectives of the NCCF are to: coordinate national coastal cleanup efforts and support local cleanup initiatives; give greater impact to raising awareness and education; engage volunteers from the public and public/private stakeholders; solicit sponsorships, funds, assistance and resources for cleanups; promote the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste; share information and advise decision-makers and responsible institutions; act as a lobbying body; and keep and process data for research, information and strategies regarding trends and cleanups.

Elected as deputy chairperson is Dr. Pierré Smit (Rio Tinto); public relations officer, Mr. Pinehas Auene (Directorate Maritime Affairs); treasurer and events coordinator, Ms. Berdine Potgieter (Municipality of Swakopmund); events coordinator, Ms. Nangula Amutenya (Walvis Bay Municipality); and events coordinator and secretary, Mr. Gys Reitz (NACOMA). The other members are: Mr. Tim Eiman (Namport), Mr. Wolfie Duvenhage (Plastic Packaging), Mr. Chris Theron (Roads Authority), Ms. Merrilyn Leippert (Coastal Tourism Association of Namibia), Ms. Christa-Lienette Goosen (Erongo Regional Council), Ms. Ronel van der Merwe (Namdeb), Ms. Lizl Hugo (Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources), Mr. Frikkie Botes (Benguela Current Commission) and Mr. John Paterson (Coastal Environmental Trust).

Mrs. Stanton said the NCCF would this year aim its efforts at the whole Namibian coast, including the towns of Henties Bay, Lüderitz and Oranjemund. The forum would also be working closely with organizations such as Recycle Forum Namibia and the Plastics Federation of South Africa.Mrs. Stanton called on coastal and inland stakeholders to contribute or participate in the upcoming events. Detail about the happenings will be made known in due course. She requested concerned or interested parties who would like to become involved to contact the secretary, Mr. Gys Reitz, on Cell 0811244008 or parrotcom@mweb.com.na. This would also include schools or environmental groups who would like to take part in cleanups or companies who wish to sponsor the events.

Combined efforts bolster guarding of coast’s natural resources

Representatives of all the relevant law enforcement agencies are joining forces this coming holiday season to jointly stem the deterioration of Namibia’s coastal environment by addressing some of the key concerns including beach littering and irresponsible off-road driving activities.

Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project at a news conference yesterday at Swakopmund said the visual presence of Wardens of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Fisheries Inspectors of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources on duty would be pronounced by wearing similar attire with the distinct wording: Coast Watch.

Mr. Braby noted that the combined efforts have also been bolstered by focused training of law enforcement officers at managerial level from the Namibian Police, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibian Defence Force and the coastal municipalities to help improve the crime prevention and law enforcement efforts. A total of 40 representatives have been attending a weeklong course at Swakopmund from Monday, 22 to Friday 26 November.

He said the training forms part of the  NACOMA’s Training and Capacity Building (TCB) intervention, which started in 2009, aiming to equip staff responsible for Integrated Coastal Management with the necessary knowledge and skills.

Mr. Braby also referred to the gazetting of the new Dorob National Park, the National West Coast Recreation Area between Sandwich Harbour and the Ugab River, which will happen in the next month or two. He called on visitors to the coast to start adhering to the regulations relating to game parks under the Nature Conservation Ordinance, and which will officially come into force in the Dorob National Park.

Mr. Boniface Sichombe, Ministry of Environment’s Chief Warden in the Erongo Region said his staff would be on duty at Mile 108, Mile 72, Jakkalsputz, Mile 14, the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, the Moon Landscape and the Kuiseb  Delta. Apart from carrying out law enforcement they will also hand out clear refuse bags and anti-litter information pamphlets to holidaymakers.

The Ministry would utilize an airplane to patrol activities along the Central Namibian Coast while the Wardens would patrol the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay on two quad bikes, provided by Dare Devil Adventures from Long Beach for the duration of the holiday season.

An information pamphlet on the off-road rules for the Central Namibian Coast will be distributed at borders, roadblocks, tourism outlets, the SOS initiative, MET offices and quad biker operators’ offices. A free permit to drive in the specially demarcated recreational area in the dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay can be obtained from MET offices and quad bike operators.

Mr. Stanley Ndara, a Chief Fisheries Inspector in the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said the Fisheries Inspectors would ensure that anglers adhere to the Marine Resources Regulations. He requested the anglers to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the regulations and to take out recreational fishing permits.

Anglers should keep their permits and identity documents with them all the time and produce them on request by Fisheries Inspectors. If anglers fail to do so they will be issued with a fine of N$300.

Mr. Ndara called on the anglers to conform to the prescribed bag limitations, size and other restrictions. He further alerted the public to refrain from buying fish, rock lobsters or other marine resources from unregistered vendors. He said the Ministry is aware of syndicates who trade in marine resources illegally and warned that it would clamp down vehemently on their activities.

Fisheries Inspectors will also assist in handing out clear refuse bags, anti-litter and off-road rules pamphlets to holidaymakers.

MTC will once again be generously sponsoring airtime to Wardens and Fisheries Inspectors.  This much-appreciated intervention to the value of N$7,600.00 will greatly improve coastal management efforts, Mr. Braby said. NACOMA is sponsoring upgraded radio communication equipment in certain vehicles of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism operating along the Central Namibian Coast.

 Mr. Wolfie Duvenhage, Plastic Packaging’s Branch Manager at Walvis Bay, said the company pledged its support to the efforts of the recently established Namibian Coastal Cleanup Forum’s. Plastic Packaging has become actively involved in various environmental cleanups in the municipal areas, the Namibian coastline, the Swakopmund Recycling Project, Project Shine and the recent International Beach Cleanup Day.

The company has followed this up by sponsoring the anti-litter pamphlet Let’s not tolerate beach littering and clear refuse bags that will be handed out to holidaymakers during the festive season. He called on the public to act responsibly by keeping the beaches and coastal areas clean.

The Swakopmund Municipality will be preparing for the season by placing new refuse bins along the streets while the old ones are being renovated. The Swakopmund beaches will be cleaned regularly. Illegal littering should be reported to the Environmental Health Section at Tel: 064 - 4104240.

The Walvis Bay Municipality supported with NACOMA funding will clean beaches daily from Swakopmund to Sandwich during peak times. Toilets in this section will also be cleaned and maintained regularly by contractors. Municipal staff will patrol the area and bags will be given out at Long Beach during peak times.

Matching grant would boost communities to explore tourism opportunities in Hardap Region

The signing and implementation of a Matching Grant Agreement Project between the Hardap Regional Council and the NACOMA project on 28 September 2010 at Mariental would open up new tourism opportunities for the region as well as previously disadvantaged communities.

In a speech by the Governor of the Hardap Region, Honourable Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, read by the Ms. Theresa Basson, Director of Planning and Development Services, she said that she was very honoured to announce the Matching Grant Agreement Project to the tune of N$596,000.00, with the aim of developing tourism in two facets in the region.

The Hardap Matching Grant Project would target Regional Training and Capacity Building component and the other component would deal with Tourism Development and Marketing. The requirement is that the project should be implemented within 6 months, thus being completed by next April.

One part of the Regional Training and Capacity Building is a Six Month Volunteer Internship Programme for 18 school leavers. The aim is that they would receive training at 15 – 20 lodges in the region, accredited by the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN). They would be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge in order for them to find employment here and to advance their careers.
Half of the students were selected during May/June already and they were already undergoing training at approved institutions in the Hardap Region already. The rest would be chosen towards the end of the year and be deployed to the institutions early in 2011.

The second part of the Regional Training and Capacity Building component will include an Excursion to the Regional Coastal Area. A total of 16 people of the Regional Council, Local Authorities, Traditional Authorities and local businesses will undertake a 7-day tour to familiarize them with the potential the coast has to offer for the region. The group would then be expected to draft recommendations on how the potential opportunities could be utilized and brought to fruition.

Under the Tourism Development and Marketing component of the Hardap Matching Grant Project we would be dealing with three aspects.

The one would aim to update the Hardap Regional Tourism Development Plan. A consultant will be appointed to review and update the plan. After approval by the Regional Council, 50 hard copies will be forwarded to stakeholders, while the electronic version will also be posted on websites. The outcome of these actions should lead to marketing of the region’s tourism development plan, the opportunities, amenities and services on offer to seek prospective investment. This should be posted on the various potential websites.

In the second part of this component a consultant would be appointed to conduct a Feasibility Study on Infrastructural Development along the Hardap Coastline. Following the feasibility study the consultant would be expected to present two debriefing sessions for stakeholders, one being for the political and management cadre of the Regional Council.

The third part of the Tourism Development and Marketing component concerns the development of a website for the Hardap Tourism Development Plan. An information communication and technology company will be appointed to design the website and to post the necessary information, pictures, documentation and contacts on the site. The necessary hard and soft ware will have to be acquired and a suitable Internet service provider should be appointed to host the website. The Hardap Regional Council will then launch the website on an appropriate date.

The Acting Chief Regional Officer, Mr. C. H. Tjijenda, signed on the agreement on behalf of the Hardap Regional Council and Mr. Gys Reitz, NACOMA’s Communication and Awareness Strategist, on behalf of the project.

During the signing ceremony Mr. Reitz also gave an overview of NACOMA’s activities and the marketing possibilities of the Namibian coast after the consolidation of all the coastal parks. With the inclusion of the Dorob National Park, between Sandwich Harbour and the Ugab River, the Namib Skeleton Coast National Park would become the largest park in Africa and the 8th largest in the world.

The coast’s natural splendour, pristine desert, beaches and biodiversity would afford excellent tourism opportunities in all coastal regions, including Hardap.

Coastal schools show way with International Beach Clean Up Day, 25 September 2010

A total of 14 coastal schools will show Namibians and visitors the way towards taking up their individual and mutual responsibilities of keeping Namibia’s coast clean, when learners will undertake environmental cleanups of prominent beaches at the coastal towns during International Beach Clean Up Day on Saturday, 25 September.

Mr. Ignatius Kauvee, Technical Advisor of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, said that 14 schools would participate in this, the largest volunteer effort of its kind in the world. The Namibian public and visitors to the coast should realize that environmental cleanup events such as this day are arranged to raise the awareness and education on the conservation of coast’s natural biodiversity. “We should not expect government or private institutions to tidy up Namibia’s shoreline, as it is the responsibility of each and every visitor to remove their own litter after utilizing the beach areas.”

The slogan of this cleanup, “Let’s not tolerate beach littering,” is calling on all Namibians and foreign visitors to clamp down on the pollution of the coastal environment, Mr. Kauvee said.

Beach cleanups should also help raising awareness on the curbing of marine litter that wash up on Namibia’s shoreline. Erongo Marine Enterprises (Pty) Ltd from Walvis Bay has for this reason donated N$55,000.00 towards Namibia’s effort on International Beach Clean Up Day.

During the handing over of the sponsorship to NACOMA, Mr. Calie Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer of Erongo Marine Enterprises, said the clean up should help to emphasize the importance of conserving the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem and the sustainable use of the ocean’s natural resources.

Mr. Jacobs said each and every company or institution should start taking care of the coastal environment and operations should start taking care of the unique biodiversity and operate within the ecosystems in a sustainable way. He called on them to also become involved in environmental projects by supporting and sponsoring events such as coastal cleanups.

Erongo Marine Enterprises’ sponsorship will be used towards paying participating schools an incentive and to produce information material as well as T- shirts for all learners taking part during the cleanup.

Secondary, junior secondary and primary schools from Oranjemund, Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Henties Bay will be involved, while the respective municipalities and private companies will be assisting with the arrangements, the collection and recycling of the refuse.

Mr. Kauvee expressed his hope that this year’s event would yield more than the 2 650 kg of rubbish that was collected during last year’s event.

Participants will be requested to complete data cards to indicate exactly what items were collected. The data will be submitted by the NACOMA project on their behalf to the Ocean Conservancy NGO, the international organizers of this event. With this information, the Ocean Conservancy can assess trends in marine pollution.

More private and public institutions are welcome to assist with the operation. They can contact the coordinator, Mr. Gys Reitz, on Cell: 0811244008 or on parrotcom@mweb.com.na

Members of the public are also invited to join this volunteer effort. They can call Mr. Reitz for more information.

Mr. Kauvee pointed out that International Beach Clean Up Day would precede the establishment of a Namibian Coastal Clean Up Forum, which would consist of all the relevant stakeholders and that would coordinate national events, render support and solicit resources in future.

Namibia’s celebrates World Oceans Day on 8 June and importance of Atlantic Ocean, Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem

The Atlantic Ocean and its Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem off Namibia’s coast support some of the greatest concentrations of marine life found anywhere in the world. Namibia will be celebrating World Oceans Day on 8 June to raise local and global awareness on the challenges the oceans are facing.

The General Assembly of the United Nations in December 2008 declared that the 8th June would globally be celebrated as World Oceans Day each year. This is to honor the oceans as they provide seafood, generate the oxygen we breathe, act as a huge carbon sink, regulate our climate, supply clean water and provide limitless inspiration and recreation.

The Government of the Republic of Namibia, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, line Ministries, the coastal Regional Councils and local authorities, the Benguela Current Commission, the NACOMA project and the Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations are calling on the Namibian public to join in the celebrations and to raise global awareness on the oceans.

Namibia’s World Oceans Day celebrations on 8 June will be centered at Swakopmund. The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Honourable Berhard Esau, will deliver an official address to the fishing industry and other stakeholders in the Swakopmund Town Hall. The proceedings will start at 09:00, with a welcome by the Governor of the Erongo Region, Honourable Samuel Nuuyoma, after which Mr. Silvanus Kathindi, Chairman of the Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations, will speak.

Apart from the official celebrations, the public is also invited to a public Lecture by Professor Larry Hutchings, an expert on the World’s Oceans. This will also be presented in the Swakopmund Town Hall at 12:00 and a second time at 18:00. They can also view poster exhibitions of various marine research projects and other stakeholders there.

To contribute and celebrate World Oceans Day in a constructive spirit Namibians and stakeholders are called upon to play their role in making the Atlantic Ocean off our coast a better place. They should all respect the national regulations in place to protect the environment and marine animals.

This responsibility should include the prevention of pollution and the cleaning up of litter and not leaving rubbish or disposing of hazardous substances on the coastline or in the ocean.

Namibians should be changing their perspectives on the importance of the oceans to Namibia and the world and discover the oceans’ beautiful creatures, habitats and how they are all interconnected.

Namibians should get involved in supporting the creation and maintenance of the marine reserves and marine parks.

The marine environment is critical to the natural and cultural heritage of the world. Not only do many marine areas support a great diversity of plants, animals, and natural habitats but the oceans play an essential role in climatic cycles and other global processes.
Marine ecosystems and resources are fundamental to the sustainable development of coastal countries such as Namibia, providing food, minerals, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, and a vast range of other products. They often support growing tourism and recreation industries and play a vital role in transport and in the culture and lifestyle of coastal people.

The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) is one of the world's most productive marine environments, not only in terms of fishery resources but also mineral deposits. It is one of the four major coastal upwelling ecosystems in the world, which lie at the eastern boundaries of the oceans.

The high level of biological productivity is the result of seasonable south to southeast winds, which induce upwelling making available an abundant supply of nutrients in the upper layers. These nutrients together with sunlight promote blooms of phytoplankton, rich resources of zooplankton and an abundance of pelagic fish such as pilchard, anchovy and juvenile horse mackerel. These fish shoals in turn provide food for large populations of higher predators such as sharks, seals, cetaceans and seabirds.

A total of 25 species of cetaceans and 493 species of fish occur in Namibia’s waters.

The Benguela is not only critical in terms of the global climate system, but its marine and coastal environments are also potentially extremely vulnerable to any future climate change or increasing variability in climate, with obvious consequences for long-term sustainable management of the coast and marine resources.

Namibia launched the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area on 2 July 2009, paving the way for further similar areas along Namibia’s coast as part of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.

The Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area covers almost one million hectares of marine and sea area where 10 small islands and 8 more islets or rocks provide sanctuary to an astonishing variety of life. It stretches over 400 km from Meob Bay, north of Lüderitz, to Chaimas Bay south of the harbour town and 30 km into the Atlantic Ocean.

It maintains essential ecological and life support systems, ensuring the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems and preserving biotic diversity. 
Seabirds and seals dominate the islands’ flora and fauna. Of the 14 seabird species breeding in Namibia, 11 species breed on the islands and inshore rocks including Namibia’s endangered African penguins and 90 per cent of the world’s endangered Bank Cormorants.

Breeding in the waters of the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area are the southern right whale and Heaviside’s dolphin, with the humpback whale migrating, while the dusky dolphin, the mink whale and killer whale or orca can be seen here regularly.

The islands are biodiversity hotspots, zoogeographic transition zones and internationally known as globally Important Bird Areas. They also provide for the collection of oceanographic and biological data regarding climatic effects and changes, and the response to these by the marine environment.

Namibia’s coast acknowledges its unique biodiversity on World Environment Day, 5 June

Conservation and sustainable development on Namibia’s coastline should not only be ingrained in our mindsets but also result in responsible behaviour, actions and decisions when it comes to the utilization of this sensitive part of the country. Namibians are called on to join in appreciating the unique environment of Namibia’s coast when World Environment Day is celebrated on Saturday, 5 June.

Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, says the significance of responsible conservation and sustainable development will soon become much more prominent when Namibia’s coast will be consolidated in one mega national coastal park.

Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, says interventions by the NACOMA project and its partners have led to the Namibian government agreeing to formally declare its entire coast and off shore islands as protected areas.
 
He said it is expected that the outstanding part of the coast, between Sandwich Harbour and the Ugab River, will shortly be gazetted and become known as the Dorob National Park.

The new mega-park, provisionally known as the Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park, will then also include the Skeleton Coast, Namib Naukluft and Sperrgebiet National Parks. The park, strectching along the total coastline of 1 570 km from the Orange River to the Kunene River, will extend inland from 25 km at the narrowest in the Skeleton Coast Park to about 180 km in the Namib-Naukluft Park.

It will link Namibia to Angola’s Iona National Park and South Africa’s Richtersveld National Park. The Etosha National Park may also soon be linked to the mega-park by the proclamation of the Kunene People’s Park in the Kunene Region.

The Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park will be the 8th largest park in the world, the biggest in Africa and the sixth largest terrestrial park globally.

It also includes the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area, which stretches over 400 km on the Namibian south coast and 30 km into the Atlantic Ocean. The many small islands and surrounding waters, including globally Important Bird Areas, zoogeographic transition zones and areas of biodiversity importance, accommodate 11 breeding sea bird species and Cape Fur Seals. In addition, breeding in these waters are Southern Right Whales and Heaviside’s Dolphins.

Also on the coast three Ramsar Sites (Internationally Important Bird Areas) are found at Walvis Bay, Sandwich Harbour & Orange River Mouth. The wetlands at Walvis Bay supports over 250 000 birds in summer & up to100 000 birds in winter. Other wetlands can be found at Cape Cross, Mile 4, Lüderitz and Kunene River Mouth, which is second richest with 72 wetland bird species.

Mr. Braby emphasized that 2010 is also the International Year of Biodiversity. The coast boasts unique array of biodiversity such as the endemic Welwitschia that lives more than 1 000 years, lichens fields (150 lichen species) that are considered Globally Important Plant Areas together with the global biodiversity hotspot, the Succulent Karoo biome in the Sperrgebiet National Park, the breeding endemic Damara Tern and endemic Palmato Gecko, Husab Sand Lizard, Shovel-snouted Lizard, Fog-basking Beetle, White Lady Spider, Namaqua Chameleon, Fitzsimon’s Burrowing Skink. Also very unique in the Skeleton Coast Park are the desert lion, desert elephant and brown hyena.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is, “Many Species. One Planet. One Future”. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, in a special messages said it echoes the call of the International Year of Biodiversity to stop this mass extinction and raise awareness about the vital importance of the millions of species that inhabit our planet’s soils, forests, oceans, coral reefs and mountains. He said our health, well-being and sustainable future depend on this intricate, delicate web of ecosystems and life.

Rogue helicopter causes havoc to marine life at Mercury Island

A blue, foreign-registered helicopter bearing the identification 5YBXE attempted to land on Mercury Island last Thursday (22 April 2010) along the southern coast of Namibia, and in the process destroyed hundreds of nests of our most endangered seabirds.

Following this manoeuvre, the helicopter landed on the beach across the bay in the Namib-Naukluft National Park near the Otavi wreck and disturbed the seal colony there.

Mercury Island is the jewel of the newly proclaimed Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area (NIMPA) and is the most important breeding site for many endangered species. This tiny island (3 hectares of steep rock) is an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) and is home to tens of thousands of seabirds.

Nearly three quarters of the world population of the rare and endangered Bank Cormorant breeds on Mercury Island at this time of the year and more than 300 nests of this species were destroyed in a matter of seconds, with eggs and young chicks hurled into the sea by the powerful draught of the helicopter rotor. 

Mercury Island also supports the largest Namibian colony of African Penguins (and the third largest worldwide). The African Penguin is endangered in Namibia and being reclassified worldwide as endangered following a drastic decline throughout its range. Again many nests of this species were lost, while panicking moulting penguins ended up in the sea (during their annual moult penguins are land bound as they lack insulation to cope with the cold seawater, and going to sea at this stage can have dire consequences for their survival).

The Cape Gannet only breeds at six colonies in the world (three in Namibia and three in South Africa) and is endangered in Namibia and vulnerable worldwide. Mercury Island holds the second largest Namibian colony of this species and in the panic caused by the helicopter chicks not yet able to fly ended up in the sea. Thousands of Cape Cormorants took to the air in a mass aerial stampede.

This helicopter was probably on a sightseeing tour from one of the luxury guest lodges bordering the Namib Desert. Not only did this tour cause major environmental damage, but the pilot also clearly disregarded basic air safety rules by flying low and attempting to land on a seabird island.  A bird striking a helicopter turbine or tail rotor can cause the complete destruction of such an aircraft in seconds. In addition to disturbing and killing many protected and endangered seabirds, this pilot also put his and his guests’ lives at risk.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, with the help of the NACOMA project, has worked very hard over the last years to protect the sensitive habitat of our endangered seabirds and the NIMPA. Namibia’s first Marine Protected Area, was proclaimed by Cabinet decision only a year ago (16 February 2009) and it was officially launched on 2 June 2009 at Lüderitz.

The Marine Resources Act specially protects all seabird species in Namibia and it is also illegal to disturb seal colonies. Through the regulations of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Works and Transport, it is illegal for an aircraft to fly at low altitude over National Parks and proclaimed nature reserves, let alone entering a National Park without a permit.

NACOMA therefore requests the Directorate of Civil Aviation to thoroughly investigate the pilot’s blatantly illegal, destructive and irresponsible conduct and to ensure that such incidents are prevented in future for the sake of our environment and not least for passenger safety. 

Our marine and coastal environment is unique but also very fragile and sensitive, says Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of NACOMA. The project is assisting the Namibian Government in developing policies and conservation measures to ensure the preservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of our coast for the benefit of all present and future generations.

This catastrophic incident (probably the most damaging to Mercury Island in decades) highlights the necessity of having adequate policies and legislation in place and enforced. A high level of awareness and respect to our entire sensitive natural heritage should be observed.

Human development poses biggest threat to Damara Tern breeding

Human development poses the biggest threat to the Damara Tern along the Namibian Coast as it is causing major losses to the breeding habitat of the Damara Tern, while off-road driving also impacts negatively on the breeding success of the bird.

According to a research article, The Damara Tern: What we know and what we don’t, issued by the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, various colonies have become extinct due to development in areas where they previously nested. The significance of this is underlined that an estimated total of only 2 500 breeding pairs to be found along the Namibian coast.
 
The breeding colony of at least 32 pairs that bred at Dolphin Beach between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund is now extinct due to the developments of Eco-village and Afrodite Beach. These developments occurred during the breeding season of 2005 and resulted in direct losses of eggs and chicks. No terns breed in this area anymore.

The largest and supposedly most protected colony, at Caution Reef, between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay is under threat because of proposed developments. If development occurs in this dense breeding area, the number of young additions to the global population will decrease substantially.

Justine Braby, scientist and author of the article, states that if human beings cannot understand the simple intrinsic value of all creatures, whether great, like the African Elephant and Blue Whale, or small, like the Damara Tern, Namibia will go on losing biodiversity.

The Damara Tern is integral to the near-shore marine ecosystem, although its role within it is not yet fully understood. As such the importance of preserving this species is a prime example of a wildlife conservation objective to promote the co-existence of all organisms so that the biological diversity in natural systems can be maintained.

The diminutive bird has an average mass of 51 g and a wing length of only 17.3 cm. In full breeding plumage the Damara Tern has a black cap and is gray on its back, wings and tail, with a white breast and belly. Its bill is slightly curved, black with a section of orange/yellow at the base. In non-breeding plumage, the Damara Tern loses its predominant black cap, which becomes mottled grey and blackish brown with a white forehead.

The bird predominantly feeds by plunge diving for food. It locates a prey (usually a small fish), hovers and dives to retrieve it. Damara Terns feed in sheltered bays, lagoons and estuaries, in the shallows and within and beyond the surf zone. The bird’s diet consists mainly of small fish and crustaceans.

Damara Terns are mostly migratory, with a very small population (fewer than 100) resident in southern Africa all year round. Around September and October Damara Terns start arriving at their breeding localities in Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

About 98 percent of all Damara Terns breed along the Namibian coastline, where the productivity is highest because of the Benguela Upwelling System.

After the breeding season the adults and the small percentage of surviving chicks fly northwards on a 4 000 - 5 000 km journey to the west African coastline countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Ghana. Recent captures and sightings of ringed individuals have added valuable information to Namibia’s growing knowledge of the movements of this little seabird.

The breeding population between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay has been the most important in terms of conservation and breeding density. This breeding area holds a minimum of 160 breeding pairs, most of which show fidelity to this area. This breeding area is managed, protected and monitored every breeding season.

North of Swakopmund breeding populations have been heavily disturbed by off-road driving and their breeding success is negligible, especially due to the breeding areas west of the main coastal road, which are continuously driven over by vehicles accessing the beach.

Durissa Bay, 15 km south of the Skeleton Coast Park border, holds a significant breeding population, but the breeding here is affected by a high density of predators, including Black-backed Jackals, Pied Crows and Brown Hyenas. There were sizable breeding populations within the Skeleton Coast Park, but these colonies have not been monitored since the early 1990s.

Breeding colonies in the Sperrgebiet south of Lüderitz are generally small, with the largest colony at Marmora Pan, 250 km south of Lüderitz (maximum of 55 pairs). Two colonies exist north of Lüderitz, which are significant in terms of breeding numbers, namely Hottentot Bay, and Meob Bay.
The breeding areas that are most affected by off-road driving, or have been in the past, stretch from Sandwich Harbour (arguably even as far south as Meob Bay) north to the border of the Skeleton Coast Park. Even in areas south of this, within the Sperrgebiet and the recreational areas around Lüderitz, are vulnerable to off-road vehicles.

The introduction of a management plan in 2001, which allowed for the demarcation of conservation areas between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, resulted in the protection of several protected endemic species under threat including the Namaqua Chameleon and the Damara Tern.  Other endemic species under threat include the Palmato Gecko, Peringuey's Adder, Namib Sand Snake, skinks, wheel spiders, spore spiders, scorpion, beetles and rodents.

Results of this measure could be seen the very next breeding season, with the Damara Tern’s breeding numbers and success more than doubling after the barrier was erected.

However, antagonism towards fencing and prohibiting entry into the breeding areas still exist. Since 2001 during every season there have been sporadic occurrences of people collapsing fences and rushing through areas on quad-bikes, motocross bikes and off-road vehicles, with nests containing eggs or chicks being crushed by this or tracks coming within centimeters of active nests.

The work on protection of the species is supported by Rio Tinto, BirdLife International, Namdeb and NACOMA.

Off-road drivers may no longer enter the off-road area in the dunes south of Swakopmund via the Swakop River.

Off-road vehicles may only access the specially designated off-road area in the centre of dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay through the demarcated corridors opposite Langstrand, Dolfynstrand and Dune 7. 

At a recent meeting of the Contingency Management Meeting at Long Beach it was reiterated that the Swakop River and the adjacent dunes are not an off-road vehicle area.

The committee, consisting of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Erongo Regional Council, the municipalities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund as well as the Coastal Tourism Association of Namibia and adventure sports operators, addresses specific environmental problems in the dune belt between the two coastal towns.

The committee pointed out that access to the dune belt through a corridor used by Desert Explorers and Outback Orange (on the old road next to the Swakop River bridge) was granted as a temporary measure to the public.  However, certain off-road drivers abused this privilege by consistently illegally driving outside of the demarcated corridor. Also the flags and signs were damaged that are intended direct traffic through the least sensitive areas. In addition off-road drivers drove into areas especially designed to protect the rich biodiversity and endangered species of the area. 

As a result, the corridor that starts at Desert Explorers and runs along the Swakop river bridge will be closed to off-road vehicles except for those with a concession agreement. 

Off-road drivers are reminded to obtain the required permit and to abide by all MET rules and regulations. Driving off-road outside of designated off-road vehicle zones without a concession agreement is strictly prohibited and violators will be fined and prosecuted by rangers and wardens of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism supported by members of the Namibian Police. 

A Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Coastal Areas of Erongo and Kunene Regions, In January 2008, highlighted the importance of the Swakop River, the adjacent dunes and gravel plains as one of the most biodiversity rich areas on Namibia’s coast.  This area is considered to be of the highest conservation priority.

As a result of unchecked off-road driving in the Swakop River, the nearby dunes and gravel plains, several protected endemic species are under threat. These include the Namaqua Chameleon, Damara Tern, Palmato Gecko, Peringuey's Adder, Namib Sand Snake, skinks, wheel spiders, spore spiders, scorpions, beetles and rodents.

Vehicles are only allowed in the Swakop River east of the Rössmund Golf Club, except for quad bikes and motorcycles, which are strictly prohibited in the Swakop River. Horse riding, bicycling, walking and jogging is permitted in the Swakop River and adjacent areas unless it is specifically not permitted in demarcated and signposted exclusion areas (e.g. Damara Tern breeding sites, lichen fields, private property).

Permits and maps of off-road vehicle areas can be obtained at the MET offices in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, Desert Explorers in Swakopmund, Dare Devil Adventures at Langstrand, and Dune 7 Adventures at Dune 7.

Government officials learn about integrated coastal zone management

Government officials, who would have to ensure that Namibia’s coast is managed in an integrated way in future, are currently equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills during a series of capacity building coursbeing ees, at the coast and in Windhoek. Politicians will be sensitized on the unique coastal environment through appropriate high-level seminars and study tours.

One of the key deliverables of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project is to build the required capacity, train and sensitize political decision makers, managers and officials in Ministries, the coastal Regions and Municipalities. They should be able to manage the Namibian coast in an integrated and sustainable way, ensuring that the coastal biodiversity is conserved through co-management and that socio-economic development takes place in harmony with the natural resources in order to cater for today and the future.

A limited understanding of coastal biodiversity and linkages to development planning and management had been identified as some of the shortcomings among government officials, said Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the NACOMA project.  Also, uncoordinated sectoral efforts and weak, fragmented communication between the various stakeholders are limitations towards better-integrated coastal management.

With the assistance of a group of coastal environmental and planning experts, the project started with a series of training courses in June, aimed at the various government levels, ranging from politicians down to operational and technical staff, according to Mr. Ignatius Kauvee, the Training Coordinator.

He said various courses are being offered in this first round and they will carry on well into October this year. The attendees are also taken on field trips to learn about the problems and issues the coastal environment has to deal with as well as to see about the unique and sensitive flora and fauna being found there.

Mr. Kauvee said the presenters are experts in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from Namibia, South Africa and the USA and topics range from Sustainable Development Tools, Strategic Planning, Governance, Resource Economics to Data Analysis and Management.

Coastal zones throughout the world have historically been among the most heavily exploited areas because of their rich resources. In many coastal countries half of the population live in the coastal zones while migration from the inland areas is increasing.

In Namibia a smaller percentage of the population is living at the coast, but as in other coastal countries there is a sharp conflict between the utilization of the resources and their sustainability over the long-term. In some countries this conflict has reached critical stages due to severe pollution, the degradation of fish resources, watersheds or wetlands being drained.

A management approach to maintain or restore coastal resources through good governance has been proposed in international agreements and adopted worldwide called: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), According to the Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zone Management by Jan C. Post and Carl. G. Lundin, ICZM is a process of governance and consists of the legal and institutional framework necessary to ensure that development and management plans for coastal zones are integrated with environmental (including social) goals and are made with the participation of those affected.

“The purpose of ICZM is to maximize the benefits provided by the coastal zone and to minimize the conflicts and harmful effects of activities upon each other, on resources and the environment.”

“The coastal zone is often subject to overlapping governance of local, provincial (regional) and central governments, resulting in interagency conflicts and unclear policy concerning resource development and management and environmental protection.”

Namibia is already close to a national coastal policy, which will among many issues address ICZM, said Mr. Braby. A Coastal White Paper for Namibia is another deliverable by the NACOMA Project.

The coastal Green Paper, preceding a White Paper and the eventual National Coastal Policy, has been launched a week ago. The Green Paper document is an outline of the key findings, the need for a Coastal Policy, a Vision for the coast, and principles, goals and objectives for coastal governance. It also presents the options for institutional and legal arrangements towards implementing these options.

Mr. Braby said the Green Paper the result of an extensive process of public consultation and specialist studies, followed by the Ministry and the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project since the policy formulation process started in early 2006.

He said it is envisaged that the White Paper would be completed towards the end of this year after which the endorsement by Cabinet and implementation would take place towards the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.

ESSAY COMPETITION FOR GRADE 10 AND 11 LEARNERS

If you were the President of the Republic of Namibia, what would you do to protect our coastal environment? The Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project poses this challenge to Grade 10 and 11 learners from the Kunene, Erongo, Karas and Hardap regions to enter essays into its competition with excellent rewards and wide-ranging awareness raising.

The NACOMA project under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has decided to extend the closing date for entries from 28 February till 30 April 2010. Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the project, said    learners need more time to do extensive research and to suggest practical solutions.

Mr. Braby said Grade 10 and 11 learners should write essays of about 500 words on how they would safeguard the coastal biodiversity and environment. They would have to highlight the threats facing the Namibian coast and propose actions and policies to preserve the life in and on the beaches, the desert, wetlands, riverbeds and sea.

Mr. Braby pointed out that the essay competition would also support and create further awareness on the coast as the United Nations proclaimed 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity with the slogan: Biodiversity is life, biodiversity is our life. (International Day of Biodiversity = 22 May 2010)

On its dedicated website (http://www.cbd.int/2010/about/) the United Nations states that this year should be “a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives”. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth.

Mr. Braby said the hyper-arid Namibian coastal ecosystem is home to a significant and unique array of biological and ecological diversity, including uniquely adapted plants and animals, rich estuarine fauna and a high diversity of migratory shore and seabirds. In particular, Namibia’s coastal zone is considered as a refuge for a number of endangered species.

• The winning essay will be published in Flamingo, Air Namibia’s in-flight magazine, and the winner will receive N$ 1000 from Venture Publications, publishers of the magazine. The winner will also go on a guided tour in the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, sponsored by Living Desert Adventures.

• The second placed writer will receive an amount of N$500 and a similar desert trip for two persons by Tommy’s Tours, while the learner in third place will get N$250.00 and a three-hour marine boat trip for two persons from Walvis Bay, sponsored by Levo Dolphin Tours and Chalets.

• Mr. Braby said the project would shortly disseminate more information about the competition and where to do research, to all coastal secondary schools. They may also visit the project’s website: www.nacoma.org.na

  Grade 10 and 11 learners at the coast are urged to commence with their research and start writing. They should submit their entries in hard copies, titled Essay Competition, plus contact details, to the NACOMA project office in Swakopmund (Sam Nujoma Avenue, Standard Bank Building, 1st Floor, Room 8) or mail it to P.O. Box 7018, Swakopmund on or before 30 April 2010.

Government officials receive certificates for training in Integrated Coastal Management

The Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project and the University of Namibia on last Friday (12 February 2010) at Langstrand handed over certificates to representatives of line Ministries, the Coastal Regional Councils and Local Authorities for the successful completion of short courses in Integrated Coastal Management.

Officials from the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, Fisheries and Marine Resources; Regional and Local Government and Housing and Rural Development; Mines and Energy; the Regional Councils of Kunene, Erongo, Hardap and Karas; as well as the municipalities of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Lüderitz, Arandis and relevant village councils attended various short courses at the coast and in Windhoek from June till October last year.

A total of 307 certificates will be handed over at the work place of the officials who were trained in Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Resource Economics, Governance in Integrated Management, Tools for Sustainable Coastal Management, Data Management and Data Analysis and Strategic Planning.

One of the key deliverables of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is to build the required capacity, train and sensitize political decision makers, managers and officials in line Ministries, the coastal Regions and Local Authorities to manage the Namibian coast in an integrated and sustainable way in future.

The politicians and officials will have to ensure that the coastal biodiversity is conserved through co-management and that socio-economic development takes place in harmony with the natural resources.

Mr. Ignatius Kauvee, Technical Advisor of the NACOMA project, and who acted as Task Manager of the training, said the consultancy team consisted of the University of Namibia, University of Cape Town and the Polytechnic of Namibia, while the presenters were experts in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from Namibia, South Africa and the USA.

Mr. Kauvee said the training would assist the politicians and officials in thinking and operating in a more integrated way between the various authorities, ensuring intergovernmental, spatial, science discipline integration.

The coastal zone is often subject to overlapping governance of local, regional and central governments, resulting in interagency conflicts and unclear policy regarding resource development, management and environmental protection.

Coastal zones throughout the world have historically been among the most heavily exploited areas because of their rich resources. Although a small percentage of the population of Namibia is living at the coast, there is a sharp conflict between the utilization of the resources and their sustainability over the long-term.

A management approach to maintain or restore coastal resources through good governance has been proposed in international agreements and adopted worldwide called: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).

Mr. Kauvee said the training will expanded further by means of further short courses, high level seminars, research, study tours, online courses and Integrates Coastal Management conference as well as post-graduate studies. The training will also be evaluated to improve the curricula and presentations.

During the handing-over ceremony at Langstrand certificates in Basic and Advanced Computer Training as well as in First Aid Training were also handed over to Wardens and Rangers from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Public should speak out on name: Namib National Park

We understand that the public should express its opinion on Namib National Park, being proposed as the name for the central coastal region. What area are we talking of?
This is the area between Sandwich Harbour and the Ugab River, which is known as the West Coast Recreation Area. This area will be proclaimed as a national park early in 2010, and is proposed to be called the Namib National Park.

There are other parks at the coast as well? Do they fit together?
Yes. The Namib National Park will together with the national parks of the Skeleton Coast, the Namib Naukluft and the Sperrgebiet form the greater Namib Skeleton Coast National Park, also a proposed name.

We are talking of two naming options. Where do they come from?
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism considered various naming options for the greater coastal park. The Namib Skeleton Coast National Park was considered to be the most practical and most representative for the entire area and the Namib National Park as the most appropriate name for the central region.

How big will this greater national coastal park be?
The Namib Skeleton Coast National Park stretches along the total Namibian coastline of 1,570 km and extends inland from as narrow as 25 km in the north to 180 km in the Namib Naukluft area, covering a total area of 10 754 000 hectares or 107,540 km2.

This sounds very large? How does the size compare wtih the areas of national parks elsewhere?
This greater national coastal park will be the 8th largest protected area in the world, the 6th largest terrestrial protected area globally and the biggest park in Africa. Namibia will thus become the first continental country to boast about its total coastline being protected by means of the Namib Skeleton Coast National Park. Together with Namibia’s first Marine Protected Area, the coast will protect nearly 12 million ha of land. This Marine Protected Area stretches along 400 km off the Sperrgebiet and Namib-Naukluft areas and about 30 km into the sea. It covers an area of 1,2 million ha and includes all Namibia’s islands. With the proclamation of further Marine Protected Areas, the total protected coastal area could increase to 14 million ha.

How may the public comment on the two proposed names?
The public should please to send their comments to the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project, under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. It should be forwarded to the Coordinator of the project, Mr. Rod Braby, on rbraby@nacoma.org.na. The comments should reach the project before the end of January 2010.

What will happend to the comments?
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism will be proposing the names to Cabinet and it would be good to include public support and comments in the proposal. More information on the extended park can also be found on the website: www.nacoma.org.na

The seriousness and commitment with which various government and private stakeholders approach the conservation, sustainable development and integrated management of the coast’s natural resources is being reflected by the nearly one million Namibian Dollars contributed to ensure that the damage to the environment is limited to the minimum during the December holiday.

During a media conference yesterday at Swakopmund, Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project, said not only did civil society donate its time and efforts but various concerns have contributed financially or have been responsible for obtaining financial support from elsewhere. The money is being used in various ways to ensure that the damage caused to the coastal environment is far less than the previous December holiday season.

Since the inception of the NACOMA Project in 2006, the private sector has donated over N$2.5 million to further the cause of conservation and sustainable development.

The following organisations have contributed significantly to assisting the MET this season: Rio Tinto (Rössing Uranium Limited); BirdLife International (Rio Tinto – Partnership Action Fund); Levo Tours; Fantom Film – Reel Media; Namib Film; Living Desert Tours; Tommy’s Tours; Desert Explorers; Key Plan; Areva; MTC; Walfish Electric; Ndongo Toyota; Dare Devil Adventures; Dune 7 adventures; Outback Orange; Rentec; The Municipalities of Walvis Bay, Henties Bay and Swakopmund; the Erongo Regional Council; Roads Authority; Wesbank transport; Baard Transport; and Salz Gossow.

The media have also contributed significantly especially One Africa TV; the Namib Times; the Republikein and NBC. The value in Namibian dollars of their contribution is N$193,000.

During the media conference, Dr. Hu Berry, world-renowned scientist and Eco-Tourism Operator, underlined the significance of conservation, the responsible and sustainable utilisation of the natural resources.

He said the pressures on the coast’s natural resources are mounting. These include an ever-increasing population with corresponding demands for employment, education, health services and housing. More and more tourists are visiting Namibia. In 2008 approximately 900 000 tourists visited the country, with Swakopmund and the surrounding coastline becoming the most-visited location in Namibia, surpassing the Etosha National Park.

The advent of large-scale uranium mining in the Erongo Region and its coastline is bringing additional pressure on the basic elements of water, air, soil and energy, while climate change will have significant effects on the Namib and its coastline, he said.

Mrs. Merrilyn Leippert, Chairperson of the Coastal Tourism Association of Namibia, pointed out that the tourism industry largely derives it livelihood from the coastal environment. Nearly 18 000 people are directly or indirectly employed by the tourism sector at the coast. If each of them would take care of three dependents, a large number of people would be relying on the income from this sector.

Mrs. Leippert called on all Namibians to act responsibly by taking care of the coastal environment, and thereby ensuring that the tourism industry could further develop the coast as a world-renowned destination. She emphasised the importance of visitors showing respect for the environment and adhering to the off-road rules during the December recess.

During the media conference the 2009/2010 edition of the magazine, Conservation and the Environment in Namibia, was launched. It was published by Venture Publications from Windhoek.  A total of in-depth 32 articles, richly illustrated with colour photographs, highlight the significance of the Namibian coast as a national heritage. The 56-page magazine is available free of charge at the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at Swakopmund, Lüderitz and Walvis Bay as well as the NACOMA Project in the Standard Bank Building at Swakopmund. It will also be available at Namib I, Sam Cohen Library and various accommodation establishments along the coast.

International Coastal Clean Up Day - 18 & 19 September 2009: Namibian learners collect more than 3 tons of rubbish on beaches

With 1 570 kilometres of coastline, Namibia participated in the world’s largest clean up. Last year, nearly 400 000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds (over 3 million kilograms) of trash in 104 countries during the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup.

A total of 450 learners from nine schools in the Erongo and Karas regions took to the beaches on September 18th and 19th to participate in the 24th annual International Coastal Clean up, the largest volunteer effort of its kind in the world. They covered a total of 23 km of beach and lagoon shores, and in just 3 to 4 hours, collected a staggering 3 530 kilograms of rubbish.

The learners represented Kamwandi Junior Secondary School in Henties Bay, Westside High School and Tamariskia Primary School in Swakopmund, Duneside High School, De Duine High School, Tutaleni Primary School and Duinesig Combined School in Walvis Bay, and Lüderitz Secondary School and Diaz Primary School in Lüderitz.

At Lüderitz, the Deputy Mayor, Councilor Perscah Mafale opened the event and relayed a message from the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, that was also shared with learners in the other coastal cities.

In her statement, the Minister congratulated the learners, saying “Caring for the Coast, Caring for the Future, stated by logo of the Coastodian awareness-raising and education campaign, is being embodied by you as learners, the youth, Namibia’s future. You are setting the example by participating in this worldwide coastal clean up. It is quite ironic, though, that most of the pollution and rubbish, if not all, were caused and left along our coast possibly by adults, the very people who should know better.”

The learners completed data forms indicating exactly what items were collected. These forms will be submitted on their behalf by NACOMA project to the Ocean Conservancy NGO, the international organizers of this event. With this information, the Ocean Conservancy can assess a trend in marine pollution.

The information will also be helpful on a national level as we work together to keep our coastal area clean. In Namibia, the most numerous items collected were plastic bags, glass and plastic beverage bottles, fishing nets/fishing lines, cigarette buds/filters, ropes and condoms.

The business community also supported the clean up. In Walvis Bay, Indongo Toyota helped organize the clean up. Mr. Willem Baartmann, General Manager of Indongo Toyota, described the activity has a huge success and challenged other businesses along the coast to arrange similar events not only on this particular day but also throughout the year.

Smith Sales and Services donated strong nylon bags while Pick’n Pay in sponsored lunch bags for the learners in Swakopmund and Henties Bay. The Spar Lüderitz sponsored drinks for all learners in Lüderitz. All municipalities provided black rubbish bags and collected all rubbish. NACOMA sponsored Coastodian T-shirts or caps for every participant.

The Honourable Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, ended her statement to learners with a reminder to all Namibians: “Your efforts to clean up the coast show your fellow Namibians what can be achieved. It demonstrates that the collection of rubbish should become a priority, while the first priority should remain: we all should refrain from littering and polluting our coast.’

Don’t forget that when on the beach or boating; bring your rubbish back home! You arrive at the beach with full bags, bottles, tins and containers, it should be easy enough to take the empties home, she exclaimed.

The Honourable Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, ended her statement to learners with a reminder to all Namibians: “Your efforts to clean up the coast show your fellow Namibians what can be achieved. It demonstrates that the collection of rubbish should become a priority, while the first priority should remain: we all should refrain from littering and polluting our coast.’

Don’t forget that when on the beach or boating; bring your rubbish back home! You arrive at the beach with full bags, bottles, tins and containers, it should be easy enough to take the empties home, she exclaimed.


For more information, you can download the International Coastal Clean Up Data Card and Guide to Marine Debris (documents from the Ocean Conservancy NGO) and the message by the Honourable Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

We want to give a special acknowledgement to the 160 learners of Lüderitz who cleaned the beaches and lagoons under a terrible strong wind! (Photos from G. Mauney)

The documentary film "The Namib Desert Coast" was officially launched on 30 July at the cinema of the Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre in Swakopmund. Around 85 persons attended the premiere. The film was screened on TV in August at the following dates:
   - NBC TV:
   Sunday 2 August 2009 at 17h30
   Sunday 9 August 2009 at 21h30
   - One Africa TV:
   Sunday 2 August 2009 at 18h30
   Thursday 6 August 2009 at 17h30
The film will be again on TV in December 2009 for the holiday season.

The film can be screened on this website on the page Film: "The Namib Desert Coast" under the section Our Coast.

Government officials learn about integrated coastal management

Government officials, who would have to ensure that Namibia’s coast is managed in an integrated way in future, are currently being equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills during a series of capacity building courses, at the coast and in Windhoek. Politicians will be sensitized on the unique coastal environment through appropriate high level seminars and study tours.

One of the key deliverables of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project is to build the required capacity, train and sensitize political decision makers, managers and officials in Ministries, the coastal Regions and Municipalities. They should be able to manage the Namibian coast in an integrated and sustainable way, ensuring that the coastal biodiversity is conserved through co-management and that socio-economic development takes place in harmony with the natural resources in order to cater for today and the future.

A limited understanding of coastal biodiversity and linkages to development planning and management had been identified as some of the shortcomings among government officials, said Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the NACOMA project.  Also, uncoordinated sectoral efforts and weak, fragmented communication between the various stakeholders are limitations towards better-integrated coastal management.

With the assistance of a group of coastal environmental and planning experts, the project started with a series of training courses in June, aimed at the various government levels, ranging from politicians down to operational and technical staff, according to Mr. Ignatius Kauvee, the Training Coordinator.

He said various courses are being offered in this first round and they will carry on well into October this year. The attendees are also taken on field trips to learn about the problems and issues the coastal environment has to deal with as well as to see about the unique and sensitive flora and fauna being found there.

Mr. Kauvee said the presenters are experts in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from Namibia, South Africa and the USA and topics range from Sustainable Development Tools, Strategic Planning, Governance, Resource Economics to Data Analysis and Management.

Coastal zones throughout the world have historically been among the most heavily exploited areas because of their rich resources. In many coastal countries half of the population live in the coastal zones while migration from the inland areas is increasing.

In Namibia a smaller percentage of the population is living at the coast, but as in other coastal countries there is a sharp conflict between the utilization of the resources and their sustainability over the long-term. In some countries this conflict has reached critical stages due to severe pollution, the degradation of fish resources, watersheds or wetlands being drained.

A management approach to maintain or restore coastal resources through good governance has been proposed in international agreements and adopted worldwide called: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), According to the Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zone Management by Jan C. Post and Carl. G. Lundin, ICZM is a process of governance and consists of the legal and institutional framework necessary to ensure that development and management plans for coastal zones are integrated with environmental (including social) goals and are made with the participation of those affected.

“The purpose of ICZM is to maximize the benefits provided by the coastal zone and to minimize the conflicts and harmful effects of activities upon each other, on resources and the environment.”

“The coastal zone is often subject to overlapping governance of local, provincial (regional) and central governments, resulting in interagency conflicts and unclear policy concerning resource development and management and environmental protection.”

Namibia is already close to a national coastal policy, which will among many issues address ICZM, said Mr. Braby. A Coastal White Paper for Namibia is another deliverable by the NACOMA Project.

The coastal Green Paper, preceding a White Paper and the eventual National Coastal Policy, has been launched a week ago. The Green Paper document is an outline of the key findings, the need for a Coastal Policy, a Vision for the coast, and principles, goals and objectives for coastal governance. It also presents the options for institutional and legal arrangements towards implementing these options.

Mr. Braby said the Green Paper the result of an extensive process of public consultation and specialist studies, followed by the Ministry and the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project since the policy formulation process started in early 2006.

He said it is envisaged that the White Paper would be completed towards the end of this year after which the endorsement by Cabinet and implementation would take place towards the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.

After the first ICM training courses, further training in Sustainable Development Tools (EIA/SEA in particular), Strategic Planning, Governance, Resource Economics and Data Management / Analysis will take place until end of October 2009. For further details, please consult the training schedule table below and contact Ignatius Kauvee, the NACOMA Training Coordinator (081 124 4477 or ikauvee@gmail.com).

SCHEDULE OF NACOMA TRAINING COURSES FOR 2009

Namibia is a giant step closer to its own coastal policy

Namibia is a giant step closer to having its own coastal policy, a framework of joint decisions by government and civil society of how this sensitive stretch of land and sea should be managed to ensure that its biodiversity is preserved and that sustainable development takes place in harmony with the natural resources.

Towards a Coastal Policy for Namibia, the Green Paper document that precedes the White Paper in the policy formulation process, was launched at a media conference and information session in Windhoek yesterday (Tuesday, 21 July 2009).

The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Mrs. Erica Akuenje, emphasized that the Green Paper is the result of an extensive process of public consultation and specialist studies, followed by the Ministry and the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project since the policy formulation process started in early 2006.

“We went to ask the people how they want to see their coastal area used. We asked them what is important for them. We asked them to come up with a vision of how they want their coastal area to be used, now and in the future. Government can make laws, but in a democratic society like ours we want to ensure that the laws we make, reflect the needs and desires of our people.”

Mrs. Akeunje said the Namibian government valued the inputs and opinions of the public and will continue to do so. “Based on those needs and aspirations, we can refine this Green Paper into a policy. When we have a policy, we will all be in agreement about the direction we are moving in, and we can make laws to ensure that this will happen. It will be the people’s policy endorsed by Government.”

Dr. Francois Odendaal, general facilitator of the policy formulation process, said the Namibian coastal areas provide enormous benefits to its people and offer opportunities for future economic and social development. He stressed, however, that the natural resources should be used in a sensible way for generations to come. “If you don’t use it wisely, you could lose it forever.”

The rich Namibian coastal ecosystems are extremely fragile and vulnerable to human activities. If the many human impacts are allowed to remain unchecked and the coastal resource use continues in an unplanned way, it may result in a long-term disturbance and impairment of ecological functioning. The result would be a reduction of the economic potential of the coast. “We need to plan how to use and manage our coastal resources sustainably”, Dr. Odendaal underlined.

The Green Paper document provides an outline of the key findings, the need for a Coastal Policy, a Vision for the coast, and principles, goals and objectives for coastal governance. It also presents the options for institutional and legal arrangements towards implementing these options.

The contents of the Green Paper are not set in concrete. It should stimulate constructive debate, which will contribute towards the formulation of a Coastal White Paper, stipulating Namibia’s future policy directions on coastal management and governance. The eventual Coastal Policy will, after approval and endorsement by Cabinet be implemented through appropriate institutional and legal means.

It is hoped and envisaged that the White Paper should be completed towards the end of this year after which the endorsement and implementation would take place towards the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.

Hard copies of the Green Paper document is available from the coastal offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, offices of the Directorate of Environmental Affairs in Windhoek, the municipalities of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Lüderitz as well as the NACOMA Project in Swakopmund.


For more information you can consult the section of this website dedicated to Policies & Laws and consult the Green Paper report below:

First Marine Protected Area leads way to more along Namibian Coast

The proclamation and launch of Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area marks the first milestone for further similar areas along Namibia’s coast as part of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management, to be implemented by 2010.

During the official launch last Thursday at Lüderitz (2 July 2009), the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Honourable Kilus Nguvauva, said “Namibia can strive to be a forerunner in the African region, when it comes to stewardship of creation, and making the world a safer, better and healthier place”.

“With this in mind, as well as the legal commitments we are bound by, we should regard this first MPA (Marine Protected Area) as a pilot project, in order to apply successes, challenges and lessons learned to further areas that will benefit from protection. Examples could include offshore hake management areas, as well as the two coastal, World Heritage Sites at Sandwich Harbour and the Walvis Bay lagoon.”

The Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area covers almost one million hectares of marine and sea area where 10 small islands and 8 more islets or rocks provide sanctuary to an astonishing variety of life. This area stretches over 400 km from Meob Bay, north of Lüderitz, to Chaimas Bay south of the harbour town and 30 km into the Atlantic Ocean. It maintains essential ecological and life support systems, ensuring the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems and preserving biotic diversity.

Seabirds and seals dominate the islands’ flora and fauna. Of the 14 seabird species breeding in Namibia, 11 species breed on the islands and inshore rocks including Namibia’s endangered African penguins and 90 per cent of the world’s endangered Bank Cormorants.

Breeding in the waters of the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area are the southern right whale and Heaviside’s dolphin, with the humpback whale migrating, while the dusky dolphin, the mink whale and killer whale or orca can be seen here regularly.

The islands are biodiversity hotspots, zoogeographic transition zones and internationally known as globally Important Bird Areas. They also provide for the collection of oceanographic and biological data regarding climatic effects and changes, and the response to these by the marine environment.

The islands should ensure the protection of the following:

      • Spawning and nursery grounds of the commercially important rock lobster and promotion of the       recovery of some fish stocks, notably Silver kob (kabeljou) and steenbras, and other marine       resources,
      • Cetaceans such as the hump-back, southern right and minke whales, as well as our special       Heavyside to breed and feed,
      • Seabird colonies that breed on the islands and forage in the surrounding waters and a number       of globally threatened species of the Benguela Upwelling Ecosystem, as well as those of other       red data species, such as the critically endangered sea turtles.

Mr. Nguvauva said the MPA would assist authorities to maintain and improve vigilance regarding risks posed by shipping-related threats, such as oil spills.

The proclamation of the MPA illustrates Namibia’s real, serious and powerful commitment to international environmental treaties, regional and national needs, and international law.

He expressed his hope that this first MPA would also draw much-deserved attention to the community of Lüderitz, in the Karas region, especially in the face of ever-changing, economic and environmental climates. The marine resources should be preserved and utilized effectively for the benefit and health of all Namibians, now and in the future.

Mr. Rod Braby, Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (NACOMA), said the proclamation of the first MPA has ‘championed’ the integrated approach to coastal management. It involved a team effort from the start which included major role players such as the line ministries, regional and local authorities, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.

“The link between the Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area and the recently proclaimed Sperrgebiet National Park and the Namib Naukluft National Park creates a land-sea link that promotes co-management between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and regional and local authorities to work with the required synergy to reach a common objective.”

Wit the number of protected areas being proclaimed Namibia will have the largest connected protected area network in Africa and the 8th largest in the world. Namibia would also be the only continental country in the world that has its entire coastline protected, Mr. Braby said.


For more information you can consult the section of this website dedicated to the Marine Protected Areas, consult the Namibian Island's Marine Protected report under the Reports & Publications or download the pamphlet and poster below:

Project Coordinator

The NACOMA Project Coordinator is Mr Rod Braby. He was previously the Senior Technical Advisor, but has now taken over the coordinating position after the departure of Timo Mufeti in February 2009. The new Senior Technical Advisor is Mr Ignatius Kauvee, who joined the project in November 2009. In the position of Project Assistant is Ms Ayn Garises, who joined the project in July 2009. Ms Raili Hasheela joined the project in a position of a Monitoring and Technical Specialist in February 2010. At the beginning of July 2010, the PCO was joined by a Young Professional Intern Ms Kaatri Nambandi. The team will further be supported by the Coastal Environmental Officer Ms Selma Shitilifa-Uushini, who joined the team on the 1st of September 2010. The recruitment of Ms Shitilifa-Uushini was necessitated by the need to address coastal environmental issues by the Directorate of Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.


Senior Technical Advisor

As Rod Braby took over the Project Coordinator position, the Senior Technical Advisor (STA) position was advertised in June 2009. Selection committee will take place in July and the new STA is expected to start at NACOMA by end of August 2009.


Project Assistant

After the mid-term review of NACOMA project by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the World Bank, its was agreed that a new Administrative Assistant position called Project Assistant will be created with an up-graded profile to improve Project Coordination Office delivery. The new Project Assistant is expected to start at NACOMA office by mid-July.


Monitoring and Technical Specialist

After the mid-term review of NACOMA project by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the World Bank, its was agreed that a new Monitoring and Evaluation Expert position called Project Monitoring and Technical Specialist will be created as a full-time position to improve Project Coordination Office delivery. Nathalie Cadot will occupy this position for a period of 6 months (June-December 2009). She was previously the French Junior Technical Assistant.

Project Coordinator

After almost 4 years working for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on its NACOMA project, Timo Mufeti resigned from the Project Coordinator position in January 2009 and move back to Windhoek where he is now working for the Millennium Challenge Account. Please find below, some words from Mr. Mufeti.

To colleagues, partners, associates and all coastal stakeholders, I have relocated back to Windhoek from Swakopmund on 13 February 2009. My relocation to Windhoek means that I am no longer working at the NACOMA Project. I therefore would like to take this opportunity to thank and give my heartily appreciations for all your involvement and contributions to the NACOMA Project. Your input has made huge difference towards the sustainable management of our coast. Our coast is unique in all means, fragile, yet it possesses some unpallared economic and conservation potentials, which if managed effectively and efficiently, will benefit our country for now and in future. I urge you to continue your support and to scale up your contributions now that our goals and objectives for sustainable development of our coast are on sight and around there corner.

I would like also to thank you all for your personal and professional support to me during my time at NACOMA. The Namibian Coast have and will have a special place in my heart for ever, and as such, I will be around and available to make my contributions to its sustainable management when possible and necessary.
Regards,
Timo Mufeti


Administrative Assistant

After the mid-term review of NACOMA project by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the World Bank, its was agreed that a new Administrative Assistant position called Project Assistant will be created with an up-graded profile to improve Project Coordination Office delivery.


Monitoring and Evaluation Expert

After the mid-term review of NACOMA project by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the World Bank, its was agreed that a new Monitoring and Evaluation Expert position called Project Monitoring and Technical Specialist will be created as a full-time position to improve Project Coordination Office delivery.


French Junior Technical Assistant

The contract of the French International Volunteer, Nathalie Cadot, seconded by the French Embassy in Namibia through its French Support to the Namibian Decentralisation Process project is completed and new funding to continue this position is sought after.

The Green Paper of the Coastal Policy for Namibia has been published and was officially launched in 2009.

The consulting firm EcoAfrica has been contracted to develop the Coastal Policy for Namibia. A Policy adviser, Cormac Cullinan from Enact has also been recruited to support the Government in this critical phase. More detailed information about the process is presented on the website.

The report on the visioning process for the Coastal Policy is available in this website in the section Reports & Publications.

SEA for the coastal areas of the Hardap and Karas regions

The consultant team of DHI, started in August 2008 with several meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. Further workshops took place end of November 2008 - beginning of December 2008 in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz and Oranjemund to collect more data and information. The SEA report for the two regions was finalized in November 2009. The SEA report for the two regions was finalized in November 2009. The report is available on the Reports & Publications section of this website.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast

The consultant team of DHI, started in August 2008 with several meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. Further workshops took place end of November 2008 - beginning of December 2008 in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz and Oranjemund to collect more data and information. The SEA report for the two regions was finalized in November 2009. The report is available on the Reports & Publications section of this website.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast

The Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) was contracted to implement key recommendations of the SEA for the coastal areas of the Erongo and Kunene regions, in order to improve conservation management on the Kunene and Erongo Coast.

The SEA found that conservation management of coastal areas needed to be improved, particularly for areas such as the Walvis Bay Nature Reserve, and the area of land between Walvis Bay and the Ugab River.

For this purpose SAIEA considered best-practice management planning methodology in producing Management and Development Plans (MDPs) for the coastal National Parks, considering socio-economic needs and conservation priorities. Management and Development Plans have been produced for the following areas of the proposed greater Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park:
- Central Area
- Skeleton Coast Area
- Namib-Naukluft Area
These are available for viewing on this website section Reports & Publications.

The MDPs were formulated with a great deal of input from stakeholders. Input from interested and affected individuals and organizations from industry, conservation, tourism, government, NGOs and the public at large has been incorporated into the MDPs, and consensus has been reached on zonation of areas along the Erongo and Kunene coast for specific uses (e.g. quad-biking, eco-tourism, industrial development, protected sensitive environments).

Draft regulations for activities within the coastal parks were formulated and tested during the December 2008 season, and an evaluation of the test period led to the refinement of the regulations during January 2009.

These 3 MDPs will be finalised in the coming months. The MPD of the central area will support the proclamation of a new National Park between the Ugab River and the Kuiseb River. The agreed name for the new park is “Dorob National Park”.

National coastal profile

The consulting firm Raison was contracted in April 2009 to compile and publish an environmental profile of the Namibian coast and summaries per coastal region. The draft coastal profile was submitted to the PCO in April 2010 and has to be professionally reviewed before it can be published.

Following the cabinet approval on the 2nd of September 2008, the Marine Protected Area (MPA) gazette was drafted in collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Ministry of Justice. The gazette officially proclaiming the first Namibian MPA called Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area was printed and published at the Government printers on 16 February 2009, and is now contained in Government Gazette notice no. 4210, in terms of section 51 of the Marine Resources Act, No. 27 of 2000. An official launch of this MPA will take place soon.

This protected area, between Meob Bay and Chamais Bay with an area of 11 800 km² includes most of the offshore islands, such as Hollamsbird, Mercury, Ichaboe, Seal, Penguin, Halifax, Possession, Pomona, Plumpudding and Sinclair islands, as well as islets and rocks within two to three nautical miles offshore.

"The Marine Protected Area will improve vigilance with regard to risks posed by shipping-related threats, such as oil spills, and enhance Namibia's international relations by illustrating steadfast commitment to international environmental treaties, regional and national needs and requirements and international law," the Cabinet briefing paper stated.

This first Marine Protected Area will be co-managed by the Ministries of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Environment and Tourism, Mines and Energy and related bodies.

The NACOMA project will continue to support the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in particular with the development of the management plan and regulations of this first MPA, training courses for MPA staff, a public awareness campaign, and with the proclamation of other Marine Protected Areas.

Resource book for learners and teachers about the Namibian coast - COASTODIANS: Caring for our coast, Caring for our future

Integrated Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN) was contracted to develop a school resources about our coast and its resources. With the collaboration of Ginger Mauney and Nicky Marais, this resource book for learners and teachers about the Namibian coast named COASTODIANS: Caring for our coast, Caring for our future was finalised in February 2009.

This resource book about the Namibian coast will be used as a basis for the awareness activities in the selected coastal schools.

You can download this resource book on the section Reports & Publications. To obtain hard copies, please contact the NACOMA office in Swakopmund.

Film about the Namibian coast: Namib Desert coast

Francois Odendaal Production (FOP) was contracted to develop an educational film presenting the Namibian Coast, its biodiversity, the multiple uses of its resources, and the reasons for its conservation and sustainable development. The film Namib Desert Coasthasbeen finalized and was officially launched in 2009.

Diverse

Following the request by the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism during the launch of the Coastodian Awareness Campaign on the 31 July 2008 in Walvis Bay, the NACOMA project organised a workshop on environmental affairs for journalist on 26 & 27 January 2009 at the Rossmund Golf Club in Swakopmund.

The objectives of this workshop were:
• To explain the structure, functions and objectives of MET to enhance a better understanding of the  Ministry;
• To establish a working relationship between environmental journalists and MET. Here they would   be requested to air their views about access or lack of access in obtaining information and    responses from the Ministry;
• The outcomes from the above bullet could form the basis of a communication policy, liaison  procedures as well as who the spokespeople of MET should be;
• To expose the environmental journalists to various new topics/issues or those that need more   elaboration;
• To provide environmental journalists with lots information for articles and follow-ups for 2009; and
• To open up the workshop on any topic the journalist would like to discuss there or in the future.

This workshop was well attended by all kind of Namibian media (press, TV and radio) and appreciated by the Ministry and the media practitioners. This kind of information sharing session is deeply welcomed and is encouraged by the media.

The NACOMA Capacity Building and Training intervention made great progress in 2009. Between June and October, short courses were offered under six thematic areas that were identified by the NACOMA Training and Capacity Building Strategy and Action Plan (TCB SAP). The thematic areas were: 1) Integrated Coastal Management, 2) Sustainable Development Tools, 3) Strategic Planning, 4) Governance for coastal management, 5) Resource Economics and  6) Data Management and Analysis.
The short-courses were mainly attended by various government officials, officials from the Regional Councils, officials from the Local Authorities. A summary on participation is presented in the table below.

The short course intervention was evaluated, and various comments were provided. The evalutation report can be accessed under the Reports & Publications section.

Visioning workshops to solicit input and feedback on the draft Green Paper were conducted in the four coastal regions, as well as Windhoek.  A total of 8 workshops were held from 23 October until 30 October 2008.  A total of 176 attended these workshops which now brings the total number of people who have attended workshops to 1730.

In almost all the workshops, less than 10% present had attended the previous visioning workshops. However, after briefing the audience on the policy process, it became evident that the policy process is now in a mature stage and that people now understands the whole process much better.

During the Green Paper feedback workshops the categories of issues which emanated from the previous visioning workshops were explained and discussed in detail  These issues include: education, awareness, and capacity building; community and public participation; grassroots involvement; specific management issues; management authority systems; social responsibility, youth development; land ownership and access to coastal lands, and access to coast; the need to have infrastructure and basic services; multiple use, planning, and zoning; conservation; mining, economic opportunities; sustainable options for fulfilling essential future energy and water needs; transparency and simplicity; strategies for sustainability; tourism; culture; geographic reach of the policy (must cover land and sea); and environmental health.

In Kunene and Hardap regions it was again emphasized that access to the coast is a huge problem and that it should be strongly addressed through the coastal policy.

In practically all the meetings it was again reiterated that the policy should aggressively address the taking of corrective action in the transformation of economic opportunities to previously disadvantaged people.

In addition the four management options, stipulated in the draft Green Paper, were also discussed.  These options are:
   (a) Namibian Coastal Coordinating Commission – establishment of a Coastal Management           Agency
   (b) Assignment to an existing planning, budget or coordination office – i.e. National Planning           Commission or Ministry of Finance
   (c) Designation of an existing line ministry to act as lead ministry – Ministry of Environment and           Tourism, establishment of a Coastal Management Committee (CMC)
   (d) Creation of strategic alliances with a nation lead agency – Ministry of Environment and           Tourism, through a CMC in alliance with other relevant ministries.

In most meetings, people opted for option (a), but also stressed that a proper legal framework should be establish in order to deal with perpetrators accordingly.  In some meetings people opted for options (b) and (c) to be combined.

The draft Green Paper is available on this website on the page section Reports & Publications.

Final Green Paper will be available by end of January 2009.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast - Development of Park Management and Development Plan

In early 2008, the Cabinet of the Republic of Namibia decided to proclaim the area between the Kuiseb Delta and Swakopmund as well as the area between Swakopmund and the Ugab River as national parks. This was the first step as part of a bigger effort to improve the management and conservation of the habitats and biodiversity of the coastal area.

It has therefore been decided that a forward-looking Management and Development Plan be compiled for the entire coastal area. This would apply to a bigger park stretching from the Kunene River down to Orange River and which would get a name decided upon by Cabinet after consultations. Through this plan, we will consolidate the Skeleton Coast, the current National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area, the area between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, the Namib Naukluft Park and the Sperrgebiet Area, into one of the world’s largest and most prestigious National Parks.

The area where human activities are most prominent and peak during the December/January holiday season is between Sandwich Harbour in the south and the Ugab River in the north. It is now referred to it as the Central Area of the greater Coastal National Park.

After years of studies, expert inputs and extensive consultations, consensus has emerged between conservationists, the public and developers about the need to balance conservation, recreation, tourism and industrial development along our coast. Based on this consensus, a Management and Development Plan for the Central Area of the greater Coastal National Park has been compiled (the draft Management and Development Plan for the central coast can be downloaded on this website under the section Reports & Publications). This plan sets out the vision, objectives and guidelines for the management and development of the park. The plan reflects the policies and intentions of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and our many collaborating partners. Once approved, the plan and its accompanying regulations will be the ultimate authority for the park. The plan is also dealing with the zoning of the park for recreational use and conservation as well as concessions that will be issued for the utilization of areas set aside for organized recreational use.

However, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has delayed adoption of the plan because they would like additional public comment and input. This coming holiday season provides an opportunity for further consultation and the Ministry thus invites Namibians, investors, visitors and all other stakeholders the public meetings organised along the coast. It is the opportune moment for holidaymakers and visitors who live inland and even outside Namibia, and perhaps did not have their chances to participate in this process. The following public meetings will take place:

In early 2009, the plan will be reviewed in the light of public input and then submitted to Cabinet for approval. Thereafter the Central Area will be gazetted a national park, as part of the greater Coastal National Park.

Which areas are open to the public and what rules will be in force? The Ministry of Environment and Tourism wants to specifically focus on quadbikes and motorbikes, since users of these vehicles have in the past caused much public inconvenience and harm to the desert environment.

Quadbike or any two wheel motorbike riders need to adhere to following rules:

Quadbikes and motorbikes (other than registered tour operators) are only allowed off proclaimed roads in the following four areas:
1. The central part of the dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay (a permit must be obtained)
2. The area to the east of Swakopmund, between the Usakos/Swakopmund tarred road and the railway line and he C34 and Deblin Lead Mine (no permit needed)
3. The coastal area between Swakopmund and Henties Bay, but only west of the coastal road, and then only on the beach (no permit needed). Riders should make use ofexisting tracks.
4. In the riverbed of the lower Omaruru River, from the beach to a point 10 km inland (no permit needed).

Recreational quadbikes and motorbikes must be transported by trailer to the authorized areas.

Other off-road vehicles Anglers, residents and holiday-makers driving “normal” vehicles (cars, 4x4s, bakkies, beach-buggies) may access the entire area from Kuiseb Delta to the Ugab River, as long as they stay on proclaimed roads, the beach and/or existing well-used tracks.

Driving on the beaches by any vehicle in front of the residential areas of Henties Bay, Wlotzkasbaken, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay (from Langstrand to Bird Island), Cape Cross and camp sites (Mile 14, Jakkalsputs, Mile 72 and Mile 108) is not permitted.

For more information about off-road driving in Namibia and the permit for the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, please download the following flyer:

The main contact person for the development of the Management and Development Plans of the coastal parks is Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch:
Ausspannplatz, PO Box 6322, Windhoek
Tel: 061-220-579
Fax: 061-279-897
Email: morgan.hauptfleisch@saiea.com

Public feels conservation measures for coast are not enough

Namibians believe that the coastal resources and environment are not protected sufficiently and that current conservation measures fall far short of what is required.

These are some of the opinions contained in a draft Green Paper, forerunner to a Namibian Coastal White Paper, that will be discussed during a further eight public meetings commencing next week.

The Coordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project, Mr. Timo Mufeti, says the formulation of a Coastal Policy has now reached the important stage of reviewing the draft Green Paper, which is reflecting the opinions of the Namibian public and specialist study inputs since the Coastal Policy Process started November last year.

The coastal policy process is an initiative of the Namibian Government under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The Green Paper, to be processed into the White Paper, will eventually become a government document, stipulating the future policy on the management of the coast, conservation and sustainable development, and from which possible legislation may be drafted.

Mr. Mufeti says the previous public consultative meetings indicated that the total coast should be zoned into areas where the unique biodiversity could be protected and/or used in a way that will not damage it and bring benefits to local communities.

The Namibian coast is viewed as a zone with multiple uses where conservation and development can go hand in hand, and planning ought to be based on proper studies.

Strong calls were made for programmes, which will raise awareness on the coast amongst all sectors of society. With its long coastline Namibia can be regarded as a maritime nation, yet ignorance reigns and there is poor access to information about the coast. It was proposed that awareness be raised nationwide and not only in the coastal areas.

Dr. Francois Odendaal, General Facilitator of the team that is responsible for the drafting process, points out that the it is carried out in phases to ensure that as many inputs as possible are obtained from the Namibian public as well as specialist studies.

He says the Green Paper will be finalized by the end of the year after which the White Paper will be processed and finalized towards July 2009.

The coming series of public meetings serves as a further opportunity for the public and stakeholders to scrutinize the draft Green Paper and to provide more inputs, opinions and ideas to ensure that the most suitable policy for Namibia’s coast is developed.

Apart from the consultative meetings, Namibians are also invited to forward their opinions and inputs to the NACOMA project in Swakopmund or to Dr. Odendaal’s EcoAfrica team. Their contact detail (also shown below) can be found on NACOMA’s website (www.nacoma.org.na).

The draft Green Paper is available on this website on the page section Reports & Publications or in printed format from the NACOMA offices in Swakopmund. Hard copies can also be obtained from the MET offices at the coast and in Windhoek, regional council offices of Erongo, Kunene, Hardap and Karas as well as the municipal offices of Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.

Inputs can be sent by E-mail or post until 5 November 2008, to:

The Ministry of Fisheries is to declare the first Namibian Marine Protected Area, 400 km long and 30 km wide, south of Namibia. The protected area, between Meob Bay and Chamais Bay, will include most of the offshore islands, such as Hollamsbird, Mercury, Ichaboe, Seal, Penguin, Halifax, Possession, Pomona, Plumpudding and Sinclair islands, as well as islets and rocks within two to three nautical miles offshore.

Cabinet approved a submission in this regard by Fisheries Minister Abraham Iyambo's during its meeting on September 2.

"The Marine Protected Area will improve vigilance with regard to risks posed by shipping-related threats, such as oil spills, and enhance Namibia's international relations by illustrating steadfast commitment to international environmental treaties, regional and national needs and requirements and international law," the Cabinet briefing paper stated.

This first Marine Protected Area will be co-managed by the Ministries of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Environment and Tourism, Mines and Energy and related bodies.

Cabinet furthermore gave its approval to the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources to present the MPA management proposal and proclamation to the public and the media.

NACOMA project will continue to support the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in particular in the development of the management plan and regulations of this first MPA and for the proclamation of other Marine Protected Areas.

SEA for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions

The publication version of the SEA study for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions is available on NACOMA Office.

One of the outcomes of the SEA of the coastal areas is a SEA Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST is an easy to-use GIS application for visualisation of the results of the SEA for the coastal areas of Erongo and Kunene regions. The DST has the role of informing the decision making process on land use options in the two coastal regions, and does not provide decisions per se. The DST has been developed as a stand-alone application which can be viewed in the widely available ArcView 3.2 as well as in the freeware ArcExplorer. For more information, please contact Nathalie Cadot: ncadot@nacoma.org.na / 064-403-905.

SEA for the coastal areas of Hardap and Karas regions

The consultant team - DHI, started in August 2008 with several meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Luderitz. The first draft SEA will be available by beginning of November and workshops to present it will take in November 2008 in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz and Oranjemund.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast

A Management Plan guideline was developed based on the Sperrgebiet National Park Management and Development Plan. As stated above, the format and content of the guideline was commented on and approved in principle by the Parks and Wildlife Director of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The finalised document is currently being prepared, and will be submitted to the MET for final approval on 25 September 2008.

The consultant team, SAIEA - Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment, has held a number of stakeholder meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Langstrand and Khorixas, in which government, local authorities, special interest groups and interested members of the public were invited to contribute ideas and knowledge in July and August 2008. The meetings sought consensus on the priority conservation areas along the coast and ideas on how best these areas may be protected. Interestingly, there appears to be very strong agreement amongst conservationists, the public and developers about the need for these protection zones. Stakeholders have also offered zonation ideas for all the parks and recreation areas, and it seems likely that previous conflict areas (e.g. beaches and dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay) can be zoned to include all reasonable needs of users and interest groups.

The consultant team has begun to build on this consensus, by developing zonation plans for the coastal Parks according to various types of usage and protection. These zonation plans will form part of the management planning process for each Park.

The Management Plans for the Walvis Bay Nature Reserve (possibly renamed) and the National West Coast Recreation Area (possibly renamed) are expected to be completed by the end of October 2008. Following their completion the revision / drafting of management plans for the Namib Naukluft Park and Skeleton Coast Park will commence.

Although the consulting team will commence the task of drafting and revising regulations for the Parks once the management planning process is completed.

The main contact person is Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch:
Ausspannplatz, PO Box 6322, Windhoek
Tel: 061-220-579
Fax: 061-279-897
Email: morgan.hauptfleisch@saiea.com

The structured visioning workshops have been completed, with the last workshop held in Oranjemund on 19 July 2008. A total of 49 workshops were held, covering 20 towns or settlements.

In total 1552 people attended. Demographic representation in these workshops was well balanced between different population groups, youth, elderly, rural and town areas, and gender. A wide range of categories of issues emerged in these workshops. They included: education, awareness, and capacity building; community and public participation; grassroots involvement; specific management issues; management authority systems; social responsibility, youth development; land ownership and access to coastal lands, and access to coast; the need to have infrastructure and basic services; multiple use, planning, and zoning; conservation; mining, economic opportunities; sustainable options for fulfilling essential future energy and water needs; transparency and simplicity; strategies for sustainability; tourism; culture; geographic reach of the policy (must cover land and sea); and environmental health.

In addition 1000 questionnaires were completed in Erongo and Karas Regions, while radio programmes was employed in Kunene Region, and additional visioning workshops were conducted in Hardap Region.

The writing of a draft Green Paper is currently in process with assistance of the PLWG (Policy and Legal Working Group), as well as external experts in coastal policies. It is anticipated that the draft will be available on this website end of September. Its release will be well publicized as it is very important for the local public and stakeholders to give input.

SEA for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions

The final SEA study for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions is available on NACOMA webpage in the section Reports & Publications. A publication version will be available by end of September 2008.

One of the outcomes of the SEA of the coastal areas is a SEA Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST is an easy to-use GIS application for visualisation of the results of the SEA for the coastal areas of Erongo and Kunene regions. The DST has the role of informing the decision making process on land use options in the two coastal regions, and does not provide decisions per se. The DST has been developed as a stand-alone application which can be viewed in the widely available ArcView 3.2 as well as in the freeware ArcExplorer. For more information, please contact Nathalie Cadot: ncadot@nacoma.org.na / 064-403-905.

SEA for the coastal areas of Hardap and Karas regions

DHI has been contracted to undertake the SEA for the southern regions (Hardap and Karas regions). The consultancy started in August 2008 with several meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Luderitz. The objective is to have a draft SEA study report before the end of the year.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast

The Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) has been contracted to implement key recommendations of the SEA for the coastal areas of the Erongo and Kunene regions, in order to improve conservation management on the Kunene and Erongo Coast.

In July and August, the consultant team has held a number of stakeholder meetings in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Langstrand and Khorixas, in which government, local authorities, special interest groups and interested members of the public were invited to contribute ideas and knowledge. The meetings sought consensus on the priority conservation areas along the coast and ideas on how best these areas may be protected. Interestingly, there appears to be very strong agreement amongst conservationists, the public and developers about the need for these protection zones. Stakeholders have also offered zonation ideas for all the parks and recreation areas, and it seems likely that previous conflict areas (e.g. beaches and dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay) can be zoned to include all reasonable needs of users and interest groups.

The idea now is to build on this consensus, zone the parks according to various types of usage and protection, and then develop regulations for each zone. With this in place, government will likely reproclaim the areas individually as National Parks, or perhaps consider the option of joining them together and proclaiming the entire area as a single National Park. This is an exciting prospect as this would be the world’s largest single National Park. We may even succeed in also obtaining World Heritage Status for this park under UNESCO listing.

Soon, the consultant team will wrap up the process by circulating draft park management plans for final discussion so that work can commence on the proclamation of the parks.

The consulting team consists of Dr. Peter Tarr, Dr. Chris Brown, Dr. John Mendelsohn, Dr. Jon Barnes, Mr. Cormac Cullinan and Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch, and the above process will be completed by November 2008.

The main contact person is Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch:
Ausspannplatz, PO Box 6322, Windhoek
Tel: 061-220-579
Fax: 061-279-897
Email: morgan.hauptfleisch@saiea.com

The final report of the 'Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area' is available on this website, section Reports & Publications.

During July the Matching Grants Program received a total of 58 proposals for funding for catalytic & practical projects that benefit people and biodiversity. The process of finalising detailed applications and costing of proposed selection is underway and expected to be completed by the end of September.

Coastodian campaign should place coast in spotlight

The lack of interest in Namibia’s coastal area and its unique biodiversity and sustainable development opportunities could mainly be ascribed to low awareness and knowledge levels among Namibians and visitors.

For them to participate in the economic social opportunities and utilze the coastal resources appropriately, a sustained and managed information and education campaign is of utmost importance.

The Government of the Republic of Namibia through its Ministry of Environment and Tourism in collaboration with other line ministries, and with support of NACOMA and other stakeholders introduced a Coastal Awareness Campaign.

Though the awareness campaign has been running for nearly a year, it was decided that it would have much more impact if it was spearheaded by an easy recognizable brand, providing a visual focus and association.

A lengthy development process was followed to bring about a brand that the Namibian public would accept and identify with.

A public logo competition was launched in November 2008 and lasted for 3 months, it was advertised widely in media, at all NACOMA consultations and the public was invited to enter names, slogans and design a logo for the coastal campaign.

A selection committee processed the entries and from that suggested new ideas. A professional graphic designer illustrated them and four logo options were submitted to a pre-selection group of 20 knowledgeable people.

Their favourite’s ones were amended accordingly and submitted to a further group of 110 people for selection. The two top logos were refined and a third was developed from the two. The top management of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the NACOMA Steering Committee had to select a favourite from the three.

The Coastodian brand was developed as result of long, transparent, inclusive process. It has passed many hands and shaped by many views, including the youth.

The objectives of the information campaign are:

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism will be applying the brand in various ways to spread information and knowledge about the coast as wide as possible.

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Honourable Nandi Netumbo-Ndaitwah in Walvis Bay officially launched the Coastodian Campaign on 31 July 2008.

At the occasion the Ministry introduced and acknowledged the first four Honorary Coastodians. This is a way is to pay tribute and honour individuals who have contributed significantly towards the promotion and conservation of the coastal natural resources as part of the campaign. More individuals will be honoured this way in future.

The Coastodian Awareness Campaign would be sustained by means of further special communication, marketing and education programmes. These would be refined and implemented in due course:

The copy right of the campaign and its brand will be owned and managed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The NACOMA Project will promote the campaign and its brand through its media liaison, and conferences, public relations activities, information and consultative meetings, its website, newsletter, information pamphlets, posters, information boards, special events, exhibitions and promotional material.

It is hoped that whenever and wherever people would see the Coastodian Brand that they would associate it with their raised awareness levels and newly obtained knowledge on coastal conservation.

The NACOMA project hopes that this will spur them on to collectively:

The process is now reaching an important stage when pre-scheduled visioning workshops are drawing to a close, and the writing of the Green Paper will start in earnest. A total of forty-eight workshops were held in the coastal areas of Namibia, with almost all towns and communities having had two workshops. Oranjemund is the only town where still no visioning workshops have been held, but a visioning workshop for this town has been arranged for 19th July, 2008.

The workshops were attended by a total of 1540 participants, and further inputs have been received in hard copy and by e-mail. Over 500 hundred questionnaires were also completed, bringing total participation in the process to well over 2000 people.

Participation involved a good balance between the different groups, age structures and rural and town residents and the demography of the coastal areas is reflected well in attendance records. As a further step in public participation, a SMS campaign is being planned for July. Youth involvement in the process is recognized as being very important. This year alone there have been 15 coastal field trips and/or film festivals aimed at the youth who has responded very positively.

A first glimpse at the results of the Visioning Workshops

Soon after the workshops started it became clear that the Namibian people feel very strongly about their coast. Data analysis is still in progress, but the following broad trends are emerging. It should be noted that analysis has not been completed, and that there may be more issues emerging, and that the ones listed below may be modified:

The draft vision of the coast is:
"We, the Namibian people want our coastal areas used in a wise manner, with sustainability as our common goal. Therefore social, cultural, environmental and economic concerns need to be balanced carefully, so that our natural resources are not depleted and the unique attributes of our coast will remain intact as far as possible. In the pursuit of a better and lasting future for our people we acknowledge that conservation and economic progress must go hand in hand. We will strive to develop our natural and human resources accordingly so that we can be good custodians of our valuable resources, making good use of them in an integrated and holistic manner, with fair and transparent access to opportunities for all, now and into the future."

Extent of the Coastal Areas

Exactly where the Namibian coastal areas begin and end has been a matter of discussion since the early stages of project preparation. The Policy and legal Working group, specially created to provide expert input into the process, has also been debating the issue and reviewed a Coastal Areas Options Paper prepared by the General Facilitation Team.

Four possibilities for the landward border of the coastal areas surfaced:
a. an ecological/environmental definition proposing that the coastal areas go as far inland as the reach of the coastal fog (the fog is generated by the sea and determines many of the characteristics of the coastal areas);
b. a social definition proposing that the coastal areas go as far inland as there are communities that can significantly benefit from coastal resources;
c. an administrative definition proposing that the coastal area go as far inland as the eastern border of the lattice of coastal protected areas, and
d. that the coastal areas should be considered those areas that are impacted on by coastal activities such a mining, tourism and so on.

The four options were also presented to the participants of the visioning workshops for their opinion. By and large, all four were considered important, but option c. had least support followed by option d. In the end it appears that a combination of the a. environmental and b. social definition will work very well, as all the communities fitting the description of b. also fall inside the coastal fog belt.

Public participation is ongoing

Any stakeholder can still give input by writing to the Facilitator or Coordinator throughout the preparation of the Green Paper which will be finalized toward the end of August. There will also be further opportunity for input once the Green Paper has been published, as well as during the development of the White Paper.

SEA for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions

The final SEA study for the coastal areas of Kunene and Erongo regions is available on NACOMA webpage in the section Reports & Publications. A publication version will be available by end of July 2008.

One of the outcomes of the SEA of the coastal areas is a SEA Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST is an easy to-use GIS application for visualisation of the results of the SEA for the coastal areas of Erongo and Kunene regions. The DST has the role of informing the decision making process on land use options in the two coastal regions, and does not provide decisions per se. The DST has been developed as a stand-alone application which can be viewed in the widely available ArcView 3.2 as well as in the freeware ArcExplorer.

The Decision Support Tool has been finalised in April 2008 and has been disseminated to MET, MFMR, Walvis Bay & Swakopmund municipalities, Erongo and Kunene regional councils etc. Further dissemination will take place in the coming months. For more information, please contact Nathalie Cadot: ncadot@nacoma.org.na / 064-403-905.

SEA for the coastal areas of Hardap and Karas regions

DHI has been contracted to undertake the SEA for the southern regions (Hardap and Karas regions). The consultancy will start in August 2008. The objective is to have a draft SEA study report before the end of the year.

Implementation of SEA recommendations on the Kunene and Erongo Coast

The Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) has been contracted to implement key recommendations of the SEA for the coastal areas of the Erongo and Kunene regions, in order to improve conservation management on the Kunene and Erongo Coast.

The SEA found that conservation management of coastal areas needed to be improved, particularly for areas such as the Walvis Bay Nature Reserve, and the area of land between Walvis Bay and the Ugab River. For this purpose SAIEA will consider best-practice management planning methodology in either revising existing management plans, or developing new management plans to ensure effective management of these areas, considering socio-economic needs and conservation priorities. Such planning would include the classification of land for various uses, updating and formulating relevant regulations, ensuring the conservation of areas of biodiversity significance, and the consideration of maximising benefits to communities in the regions.

A number of key activities will be undertaken. The activities will be implemented in phases as described below:

Phase 1:
     - Developing best practice guidelines for the development of management plans in coastal         protected areas.

Phase 2:
     - Development of a land-use plan, zonation map and management plan in order to facilitate the         proclamation of the Walvis Bay Nature Reserve
     - Development of a coastal land-use plan, zonation map and management plan to guide         management of the NWCRA
     - The review of land-use planning, zonation and management plans for the Namib Naukluft Park         and the Skeleton Coast Park, to ensure the inclusion of coastal management and conservation         priorities, as identified by the Nacoma SEA process.

Phase 3:
     - Formulating of regulations for newly proclaimed protected areas and agreed land-use zones, as         well as review regulations for existing protected areas.

The above process will be completed by November 2008, and will be consultative in nature. This implies that the views of all stakeholders in the concerned areas will be sought, to inform the development of management plans, zones of use and regulations.

The consulting team consists of Dr. Peter Tarr, Dr. Chris Brown, Dr. John Mendelsohn, Dr. Jon Barnes, Mr. Cormac Cullinan and Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch, and have commenced with Phase 1. Consultations with MET, as well as coastal stakeholder consultations are currently being planned for July 2008.

The main contact person is Mr. Morgan Hauptfleisch:
Ausspannplatz, PO Box 6322, Windhoek
Tel: 061-220-579
Fax: 061-279-897
Email: morgan.hauptfleisch@saiea.com

The Honourable Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Dr. Iyambo, has received in May 2008 the final version of the cabinet submission for the proclamation of Namibia's Islands' Marine Protected Area. He has stated that he intends to call a briefing meeting with the other Permanent Secretaries and Ministers involved, in order to garner their input, before proceeding to cabinet for approval of this important issue.

The revised final draft of the 'Concept note, background document and management proposal for the declaration of Marine Protected Areas on and around the Namibian offshore islands and adjacent coastal areas' is available on this website, section Reports & Publications.

The capacity building and training have not progressed well as anticipated, and continue to be carried out on ad hoc basis. This is mainly due to the fact that the PCO team does not have the easy implementable Training and Capacity Building Strategy and Action Plan (TCBSAP). Initial efforts to have the TCBSAP in time have failed as the hired consultant failed to deliver acceptable and implementable TCBSAP. The PCO team is now in process of re-launching this task for speed implementation. This involved reformulation of the TCBSAP task, redevelopment of the terms of reference and re-procure the service for new consultant. NACOMA however continues to carry out urgent and priority training and capacity building activities as necessary, with the latest one being the training of coastal Regional Councils (RC), coastal Local Authorities (LA) and Line Ministries (LM) in usage of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in application of Erongo and Kunene coastal SEA results and recommendations. Other ad hoc trainings that took place to date include SEA & EIA trainings to MET and some RC’s and LA's staff members (both inside Namibia and in South Africa); project cycle management to all coastal RC’s, LA’s and LM’s staff, etc.

EcoAfrica has been contracted to support the development of specific conservation and sustainable use investment proposals at site and landscape levels that can be financed by the NACOMA Matching Grants. The two leading consultants are:

The first phase of the task is to collect coastal project proposal outlines. For this purpose, an advert has been published in June 2008 and will be published again in July 2008 in Namibian newspapers. Please, see the advert below.

Call for coastal project proposal outlines

The NACOMA Project’s main objective is to enhance coastal and marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of coastal resources. This is being achieved through supporting the development of coastal policy, institutional and technical capacity and by co-financing of practical investments that result in tangible benefits to people and biodiversity.

The NACOMA Matching Grant programme will fund projects from N$10,000 to N$360,000 (projects exceeding this budget will be treated on merit). The NACOMA Project hereby requests brief project outlines (not more than two pages) that address practical solutions for supporting biodiversity and catalyzing sustainable use of natural resources.

Projects in the following fields, but not limited to, could be funded:
          - Biodiversity and conservation monitoring and enforcement
          - Habitat rehabilitation and restoration
          - Environmental impact reduction projects (e.g. fencing, boardwalks, interpretation signs)
          - Wise use of coastal resources (e.g. craft or medicinal use)
          - Coastal environmental awareness (e.g. signage, improved communication, events, books &              promotional material)
          - Eco-tourism (e.g. eco-labeling, guide training, marketing material, upgrade of existing              facilities, trail development)
          - Waste management solutions, (e.g. litter control and recycling)
          - Water conservation and renewable energy systems
          - Aquaculture, mariculture and agriculture projects
          - Support to small businesses wishing to use biodiversity sustainably

Projects will be supported in the coastal and adjacent terrestrial and marine areas only. Applications are open to all, inclusive of individuals, community groups, non-governmental organisations, private sector, local authorities, regional councils and line ministries.

The two (2) page project outline should include & address the following:
          1. Project description, objectives and broad budget requirements (quotes not compulsory)
          2. Project benefits to the coastal environment
          3. Project benefits to people and society
          4. Project benefits in terms of potential job creation or business opportunities
          5. The potential for matching or contributing to the project (financial or other commitment)

Applicants of selected projects will be contacted for further project development. The two page proposals should be sent via e-mail, fax, mail or hand delivery to NACOMA Project before Tuesday 15 July, 17h00:

NACOMA Project Office
Standard Bank Building, First Floor, Room 8
Sam Nujoma Avenue
P O Box 7018, SWAKOPMUND
TEL: 064 – 403905, FAX: 064 – 403906
E-mail: nacoma.project@gmail.com AND dguterres@nacoma.org.na

Action Plan for Namibia’s Coastal and Marine Birds

In order to address the increasing threats to our coastal and marine birdlife, NACOMA together with numerous other partners met in April 2008 to develop a Namibia Coastal/Marine Bird Action Plan and Working Group. The mission of the plan is to conserve Namibia’s coastal and marine birds and their habitats. The main threats include habitat loss or degradation, pollution, over fishing, by-catch, lack of awareness and ownership.

The action plan is being implemented by the Namibia Coastal and Marine Bird Working Group, a partnership between NACOMA, Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), and institutions within MET, MFMR, Local Authorities and civil society groups (e. g. Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia (CETN), BirdLife International Albatross Task Force, Namibia Bird Club, Namibian Environment and Wildlife Society, Wetland Working Group); and many private individuals.

The proposed actions following the priority issues identified are: to promote communication and cooperation, to obtain and manage information, promote conservation awareness, address threats to birds, reduce seabird by-catch, develop rescue and rehabilitation protocol and promote project sustainability. These actions complement NACOMA’s project and global objective to “strengthen conservation, sustainable use and mainstreaming of biodiversity in coastal and marine ecosystems in Namibia”.

For more details please check the proceedings document below or contact Ann and Mike Scott at ecoserve@iway.na / 064-404-866.

The second round of workshops is in progress. Erongo has already been completed, and by now already over one thousand (1000) people have attended meetings to express their concerns, aspirations and views on how the coast can be used. More public, private sector, special interest and line ministry workshops are being held to discuss the pillars of the Green Paper, the coastal zone definition and the National Draft Vision.

Prof Odendaal welcomes written submissions and comments to be sent to the NACOMA Coordinator Mr Timo Mufeti at tmufeti@nacoma.org.na, and copied to him at francois@ecoafrica.co.za. Such written submissions on issues, process and the Draft National Vision will be treated as input into the official process.


DRAFT COASTAL VISION:
"We, the Namibian people want our coastal areas used in a wise manner, with sustainability as our common goal. Therefore social, cultural, environmental and economic concerns need to be balanced carefully, so that our natural resources are not depleted and the unique attributes of our coast will remain intact as far as possible. In the pursuit of a better and lasting future for our people we acknowledge that conservation and economic progress must go hand in hand. We will strive to develop our natural and human resources accordingly so that we can be good custodians of our valuable resources, making good use of them in an integrated and holistic manner, with fair and transparent access to opportunities for all, now and into the future."

Brand for promoting the coast is on its way

The NACOMA Project launched a competition through which the public could submit an appropriate name, slogan as well as a logo for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the coast.

The closing date for entries was 15 January 2008 and the winners were supposed to be announced by the end of January.

A selection committee perused all the entries in February 2008. The committee concluded that none of the entries were appropriate enough for a coastal campaign. However, the committee was impressed with the high standard of the entries and decided that the best ones should be acknowledged.

The project received 66 entries. About 99 per cent of them were from people living at the coast. A number were from learners at schools at Walvis Bay. The project would like to thank all the participants for their effort and trouble.

The NACOMA Project decided to split the prize money of N$3,000 between the following people who submitted recommendable logo designs and names for the campaign: Bryony van der Merwe, Petrus van der Westhuizen, Christina Tshapumba, Lutz D. Wahlers, Sandy le Roux and Jessica Kemper. Each, thus, will receive N$500. NACOMA wish to congratulate and thank them for their work.

The NACOMA Project was also impressed with the entries from the schools mentioned below and would like to express its gratitude to those teachers who encouraged their learners to submit entries. It was decided that book prizes would go to the following children:
            - Dolphin Secondary school, Walvis Bay / Teacher Mrs De Joger: Ingrid Blazic and Ivan Blazic.
            - Dolphin Elementary School, Walvis Bay / Teacher Mrs De Joger: Francois Malherbe.
            - Duneside High School, Walvis Bay / Teacher Mr. Feras: Edouardo Riobo.

The reception of the prizes will take place in Swakopmund or Walvis Bay in May when the campaign for the promotion of the coast, its natural resources, biodiversity and sustainable development will be launched. The name, slogan and colourful logo will be revealed then as well as how it will be promoted among all coastal residents, businesses and the different levels of government. More information will then be released about this important coastal campaign.

FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DRAFT COASTAL VISION

The second round of workshops for the Coastal White Paper started on March 5 in Walvis Bay. In the meeting in Kuisebmond, the facilitator Prof Francois Odendaal revealed the Draft Coastal Vision that emerged from the first round of visioning workshops along the coastal areas of Namibia. He says that the Draft Coastal Vision will still undergo some changes through the ensuing workshops, but it is unlikely that the key components in it will change because that comes from the long series of first round workshops.

However, some panel beating and adjustments may be necessary along the way in terms of making it clearer or wording it better so everyone can understand its meaning. The Draft Vision must also still pass through workshops with Government officials, line ministries and the Legal and Policy Working Group of NACOMA. So it really is a straw dog that can be tugged and pulled, and comments are welcome.

Prof Odendaal also welcomes written submissions and comments to be sent to the NACOMA Coordinator Mr Timo Mufeti at tmufeti@nacoma.org.na , and copied to him at francois@ecoafrica.co.za. Such written submissions on issues, process and the Draft National Vision will be treated as input into the official process.


DRAFT COASTAL VISION:
"We, the Namibian people want our coastal areas used in a wise manner, so that social, cultural, environmental and economic concerns are carefully balanced with sustainability in mind, and conservation and economic progress going hand in hand. All our resources should be developed to their full, including our natural and human resources, with fair and transparent access to opportunities for all, now and into the future."

Debate about coast heats up

The debate about the conservation, management and utilization of the natural resources along Namibia’s coast is heating up and will do so even more with the next round of public meetings starting next week.

Consultants of the Namibia Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project will be convening 13 meetings for Namibians to express their views, concerns, priorities and aspirations on the current and future use of coastal areas and resources. This is a follow-up to the first round of meetings, which were held in November and December.

According to Mr. Timo Mufeti, Coordinator of the NACOMA Project, the meetings aim to obtain inputs and comments from the public as part of a process to formulate a White Paper, which will be the forerunner to a coastal policy that will lay the template for the management of coastal resources.

This process is an initiative of the Namibian Government and the White Paper will become a government document stipulating the future policy on the management of the coast and from which the possible legislation may flow.

Mr. Mufeti pointed out that the NACOMA Project believes in a consultative approach and that this process is merely in the beginning stage. The project and its consultants wish to seek the participation of the public as well as stakeholders during the various opportunities afforded. Although the coming meetings will be mainly at the coast more meetings will also be convened in Windhoek for those who have business interests or properties at the coast. Individuals and interest groups are also invited to visit the project’s website (www.nacoma.org.na) for more information or send proposals and comments to its office in Swakopmund.

According to Dr. Francois Odendaal, General Facilitator of the team that is drafting a Namibian Coastal Management White Paper, the White Paper process concerns the entire coastal area from the Kunene to the Orange rivers and not only certain parts.

With the previous round of meetings participants said they preferred an integrated development and conservation approach among the many issues raised. A key concern was the limited access to the coast. Some people felt unhappy that parts of the coast were restricted and that they were not fully informed about the reasons. Others felt unhappy that driving along the coast was restricted, including the dunes between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

Mr. Mufeti said the NACOMA Project will shortly also be consulting the public about the future utilization of certain areas along the coast. One such area is the proclamation of the area between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay (including the Kuiseb Delta) as part of the Namib Naukluft Park or as a separate national park and the West Coast Recreational Area also as a national park.

The consultant for this matter will most probably start in March working on various matters regarding the zoning, utilization and management of all the various areas in the Kunene and Erongo Regions.

Mr. Mufeti said all the consultations with the public are not ‘window dressing’ exercises but they are serious efforts to include the concerns, views, aspirations and ideas of the public to shape a collective Vision and Policy as an initiative of the Namibian Government to formulate a national policy for the Namibian Coast. Thus, not only Government will decide on a policy but it will be a collective effort.

The final SEA study for Kunene and Erongo regions is available on NACOMA webpage in the section Reports & Publications. The Decision Support Tool will be finalised by April 2008.

The SEA for Southern Namibia (Hardap and Karas regions) will be launched beginning of April 2008.

Brand for promoting the coast is on its way

The NACOMA Project launched a competition through which the public could submit an appropriate name, slogan as well as a logo for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the coast.

The closing date for entries was 15 January 2008 and the winners were supposed to be announced by the end of January.

However, a committee who perused the entries decided that it needed more time to consider the entries as well as other options. NACOMA hopes to implement a brand for the coast towards the end of February.

The prize money of N$3,000.00 as well as some consolation prizes will still be awarded to the best entry or entries.

The NACOMA Project and its partners will most probably launch the brand officially during an information event at the coast, where the person(s) who entered the best entry or entries would be acknowledged and probably personally receive the prize(s).

The brand, which will incorporate a name and a slogan, has to promote and support the conservation of the coast and its natural resources, biodiversity as well as sustainable development.

It will be a visual identity, which through lots of communications and marketing try to foster a culture, beliefs, policies and practices, which will support the sensible development and caring for the natural resources in the coastal zone, from the Orange River to the Kunene River.

The brand will belong to the Namibian Government for the Namibian Coast but will be used by all Namibian coast stakeholders such as the coastal Regional Councils  of Kunene, Erongo, Hardap and Karas, all the relevant local authorities, tourism and relevant organizations, private businesses, NGO’s, CBD’s and the line Ministries involved at the coast, and last but not least the public.

Anyone would easily be able to associate with brand. If one would see the brand displayed, in public, at coastal events or in the media, one should immediately know what it stands for and be able to associate with its aim of promoting and the conservation of the coast and all its natural resources as well as sustainable development.

As soon as the brand is launched more information about what it represents will be communicated in public.

For more information on the brand please contact Nathalie Cadot at NACOMA on Tel: 064 – 403 905 or Gys Reitz on Cell: 0811244008.

Coastal authorities condemn conduct of unruly quad bikers

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Erongo Regional Council, the Municipalities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund as well as the Namibian Police strongly condemn the unbecoming conduct of certain quad bike drivers along the Namibian coast, especially at Long Beach (Langstrand).

According to reports some quad bike drivers totally neglect the road rules, drive into conservation areas or impinge on the enjoyment of other holidaymakers. These culprits wander close to where families picnic, make wheelies on beach areas, operate unlicenced quad bikes, do not wear helmets or in cases are under-aged.

The above authorities would like to call on all holidaymakers to act in a considerate and caring way in the spirit of the festive season. They wish to encourage everybody to enjoy themselves but in a responsible and respectful way.

The Municipality of Walvis Bay will be stationing traffic official at Long Beach to patrol the beach and surrounding areas during the period between Christmas and New Years day. The Namibian Police, with the assistance of a private company, has been equipped with four quad bikes to also perform law enforcement along the beach areas.

Members of the Namibian Police and the Municipalities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund will clamp down on any drivers of off-road vehicles who don’t adhere to the road rules, who drive under the influence of alcohol or who cause a nuisance to other holidaymakers. It is, however, impossible for the authorities to be present at every incident. Members of the public are requested to report cases to the Namibian Police or the relevant traffic departments where drivers of off-road vehicles ‘driving’ it too far.

Officials of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism will also patrol the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to ensure that off-road vehicles don’t go into conservation areas. These areas have been cordoned off but cases of transgression are still reported.

Two areas have been demarcated for the enjoyment of the drivers of off-road vehicles. The one Off-road Vehicle zone is between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. The one area stretches from Long Beach (Langstrand), 10 km southward to about Dolphin Park, where there is a turnoff, an off-loading and parking area. The other ORV zone is just past Dune 7, when approached from Walvis Bay. To utilize these areas, drivers need to obtain permits from the Walvis Bay or Swakopmund offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Drivers of off-road vehicles are also urged not to drive on the gravel planes east of the dune belt as well as the lichen fields north of Swakopmund. At beach areas they should stick to the well-used tracks above the high tide mark.