Implementation

The implementation of NACOMA

The project's implementation is guided by a Steering Committee (SC) which builds coordination, cooperation and communication between key sectors at the national level and between national and regional governments. The Committee's key role is to monitor project implementation.

The members of the Steering Committee include:

• Chair: Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET);
• Deputy chair: Representative of Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development (MRLGHRD);
• One representative of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR);
• One representative of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME);
• One representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF);
• One representative of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (MWTC);
• One representative of the National Planning Commission (NPC);
• One representative of each 4 coastal regions: Kunene, Erongo, Hardap and Karas.

The four coastal Regional Councils have constituted an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Committee (ICZMC) to address issues of coastal conservation, management and planning. The ICZMC serves as a high level overall supervisory and advisory body to the Project, and its membership liaises with the SC on all aspects of project implementation.

The ICZMC consists of the four Governors, the four Regional Chief Executive Officers, a councilor from each region, representatives from line ministries, several members of national parliament that represent the four regions and 2 other members from each region that could be from Local Authorities or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).

The World Bank acts as the implementing agency on behalf of the GEF.

For further information on GEF, visit: http://www.gefweb.org
For more information on the World Bank, visit: http://www.worldbank.org

The Scientific Group (SG) on coastal biodiversity and ICZM guides NACOMA's implementation and facilitate access to, and use of relevant data through BENEFIT, BCLME, MFMR and MET as well as other line Ministries. The SG provides scientific input as requested by any NACOMA entity (SC, ICZMC, project team).

The ICZM Policy and Legal Working Group was established to facilitate the development process for the Coastal Vision and the Namibia Coastal Management White Paper (NACOWP) from start-up to final endorsement, together with the ICZMC and the SC.

This working group will direct and conduct a comprehensive policy, legal and institutional review process to generate recommendations for new or improved tools and frameworks to mainstream biodiversity conservation and management into planning and decision-making for the coastal zone. It will also be responsible for integrating these inputs with the results of consultations undertaken with relevant stakeholders and assisting in drafting the Common Coastal Vision, Green Paper, NACOWP and Plan of Action for NACOWP Implementation.

NACOMA has established Focal Points (technical staff) at the National, Regional and Local levels to facilitate the NACOWP process on behalf of the their institutions and represent their respective institutions within the ICZMC. S/he will actively contribute, as representatives of [RC], to the development of consensus on how to implement ICZM in the Namibian context and to the coordinated development of the Vision/NACOWP in line with White Paper process.

Other specific working groups will be formed as needed to support and provide advice to the project and stakeholders with regard to implementation of specific tasks. Specific working groups formed to date include:

• Contingency Management Committee (CMC) for the Dune Belt Area between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. This committee is supporting the project as well as other stakeholders (i.e. Erongo Regional Council; Municipalities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, Ministry of Environment and Tourism) to implement the Contingency Management Plan that controls activities in this area in order to minimise the perceived negative environmental impacts.
• MET – MFMR technical working group on Marine Protected Areas(MPAs). This group is advising MET and MFMR on the issues related to the declaration of the Namibian off shore islands as MPA’s and the Sperrgebiet National Park; as well as issues related to the co-management of these areas.