Namibia ups efforts to address biodiversity threats
Namibia is scaling-up efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity, both inside and outside protected areas, so as to help address the threats to biodiversity the country faces such as poaching of high-value and endangered species as well as human-wildlife conflict, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said on Saturday.
Speaking at the commemoration of the International Action Day for Biological Diversity, he observed that the country needs to ensure that existing conservation areas are well-managed and are delivering benefits to people and biodiversity.
The country is likewise making efforts to keep climate change well below two degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, and to prevent the worst climate change impacts from occurring. “In Namibia, we are also prioritising nature-based solutions as part of our adaptation to climate change.
These include initiatives such as wildlife farming, the development of eco-tourism and value-addition, and product development from our indigenous plant resources,” he added.
“Namibia is well-endowed with resources such as hoodia, Devil’s Claw, marula and commiphora resin, and we need to take them to the next level”, Shifeta said.
Namibia is furthermore making an effort to relieve the pressures that drive biodiversity loss, including targeted interventions to prevent and control alien invasive species, pollution, and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources such as timber.
Over 43% of Namibia’s landmass is under some form of conservation management, through State-protected areas, communal conservancies, community forests and other areas.