Policy on Climate Change tabled in Namibia

The Namibian newspaper is reporting that the National Policy on Climate Change for Namibia was tabled in the Namibian parliament last week, bringing the country closer to an official policy to deal with climate change. The majority of Namibians rely on agriculture, livestock management and fishing for an income, and scientists have said that climate change impacts will range from increases in temperature and evaporation as well as unpredictable rainfall, causing flooding or draughts. On the positive side however, climate change also offers opportunities, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, pointed out. She noted that the global drive to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations is increasing the importance of alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and other renewable energy resources, which Namibia is particularly well-endowed with. Addressing the opportunities and mitigating the negative effects are part of the policy on climate change. “The policy lays out a number of principles that ought to guide the process, while also outlining the roles and responsibilities of the relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the policy,” the Minister writes.