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#1
FACT SHEET ON:
Climate Change
THE DEFINITION, CAUSES, EFFECTS AND
RESPONSES IN NAMIBIA.
Climate change is a real and urgent challenge that
is already affecting people and the environment
worldwide. Significant changes are occurring on
Earth, including increasing temperatures, rainfall
variability, and rising sea levels. This fact sheet
discusses key scientific facts that explain the causes
and effects of climate change today, as well as
projections for the future.
•
Introduction
Although the Earth’s climate has changed
many times throughout its history, the rapid
warming seen today cannot be explained by
natural processes alone. Human activities are
increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Some amount of greenhouse gases is
necessary for life to exist on Earth – they trap heat
in the atmosphere, keeping the planet warm and in
a state of equilibrium. But this natural greenhouse
effect is being intensified by human activities (such
In simple terms, climate change is about the change
over long periods of time (decades or longer) of
temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure
and winds on a global scale. Global warming is the
increase in average surface temperature.” (IPCC,
2007). Both human-made and natural factors
contribute to climate change:
•
Human causes include burning fossil fuels,
cutting down forests, and developing land for
farms, cities, and roads. These activities all
release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Natural causes include changes in the Earth’s
orbit, the sun’s intensity, the circulation of
the ocean and the atmosphere, and volcanic
activity.
FIGURE 1:
The Link between
Greenhouse Gases and
Temperature 1850 2009
(Source: Carbon Dioxide
Information Analysis
Center. 2010. http://cdiac.
ornl.gov/ and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. 2010.
www.noaa.gov)
as the burning of fossil fuels) that add more of
these gases to the atmosphere, resulting in a shift
in the Earth’s equilibrium.
FIGURE 1 (on the previous page) shows a clear
relationship between one of the major greenhouse
gases, carbon dioxide, and increase in atmospheric
temperature. Emissions of carbon dioxide, an
important greenhouse gas, have been increasing
since the Industrial Revolution. These emissions
are causing carbon dioxide levels to build up in the
atmosphere and global temperatures to rise.
In particular, temperatures have gone up at an
increased rate over the past 30 years.
FIGURE 2 (below) shows natural greenhouse effect
and human enhanced greenhouse effect. The
natural greenhouse effect is vital to life processes
on earth, as it helps to keep the earth warm. The
human enhanced greenhouse effect, is caused
by human activities, and is the primary driver
of climate change and global warming today. It
occurs when more greenhouse gases are added
to the atmosphere. The increased amounts
of greenhouse gases absorb and reflect more
infra-red radiation back to earth. This leads to
higher temperatures and has a knock on effect
by interfering with many components of earth’s
natural climate regulation systems.
FIGURE 2:
The greenhouse effect
(Source: https://
greenfriendswoodlands.files.wordpress.
com/2010/03/2.jpg)
The Effects
of Climate Change
Current and future effects of climate change pose
considerable risks to people’s health and welfare,
and the environment. There is now clear evidence
that Namibia is becoming hotter:
•
•
•
•
Surface temperatures have risen by 1.2
degrees Celsius (ºC) over the last 100 years.
The frequency of extreme temperatures has
increased by 10% over the last four decades.
Since 1900, climate in Southern Africa has
warmed by ~0.8°C. Temperatures in the
past ten years have been the highest since
measured records started in the 19th century.
According to recent studies, summer
temperatures are projected to increase
•
between 1°C and 3.5°C and winter
temperatures between 1°C to 4°C in the
period 2046-2065.
Maximum temperatures have been getting
hotter over the past 40 years, as observed in
the frequency of days exceeding 35°C.
The evidence of climate change extends well
beyond increases in surface temperatures. It also
includes:
•
•
Changing precipitation patterns. Given the
variability of the Namibia rainfall patterning,
it is difficult to ascribe changes in rainfall
patterns to climate change
Based on the available records, the frequency
of drought and floods has increased by ~18%,
on average, in the last 4 decades compared to
the period before
Later onset of rainy seasons and thus growing
seasons, overall changes in average seasonal
temperature, continual threat of drought and
unusually severe flooding in parts of Namibia have
provided an indication of how climate change
could affect the country.
F
IN NAMIBIA’S RESPONSE TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
1995
Business and the economy have already felt
some impact but the most vulnerable are the
communities whose livelihood depend on natural
resources – such as subsistent agriculture.
Response to
Climate Change
in Namibia
The prediction that weather conditions will become
more severe during the next decades places the
responsibility for adaptation on the shoulders of
all Namibians, especially high-level managers and
policy and decision makers across all sectors.
In 1995 Namibia ratified this
international environmental treaty
which has the ultimate objective
to “stabilise greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere
at a level what will prevent
dangerous human interference
with the climate system.”
2001
NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE
COMMITTEE (NCCC)
2011
NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE
POLICY (NCCP)
2012
DISASTER RISK
MANAGEMENT ACT
2014
NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE
STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN,
2013-2020 (NCCSAP)
It is urgent to take action now to create resilience to
the predicted changes by incorporating adaptation
initiatives into existing and future policy and
developments.
Figure 3 highlights key policies in Namibia’s
legislative framework to address climate change.
The Government of the Republic of Namibia,
through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism
(MET) has commissioned several studies on climate
change adaptation.
These studies highlight comprehensive current and
proposed adaptation strategies across different
sectors in Namibia. The studies are freely available
to download from the MET website.
For More Information
For detailed information about greenhouse gas
emissions, the effects of climate change and the
current efforts to address the impacts of climate
change, visit the web site for the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change at www.ipcc.ch.
UNITED NATIONS
FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
(UNFCCC)
The NCCC has the main
function of advising and making
recommendations to government
on climate change and is
comprised of representatives from
various government ministries,
NGOs, parastatals and the private
sector.
The Policy takes a cross-sectoral
approach and elaborates on
climate change adaptation
and mitigation in Namibia.
The policy outlines a coherent,
transparent and inclusive
framework on climate risk
management in accordance with
Namibia’s national development
agenda, legal framework, and
in recognition of environmental
constraints and vulnerability.
The Act provides for the
establishment of institutions
for disaster risk management
in Namibia. A disaster risk
management plan is in place to
cover amongst others drought and
flood events from climate change.
The Strategy and Action Plan
lays out the guiding principles
responsive to climate change that
are effective, efficient and practical
in order to realise the goals of the
NCCP. It further identifies priority
action areas for adaptation and
mitigation.
FIGURE 3:
Namibia’s Climate Change legislative framework
Source: Various key documents comprising the national legal framework for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change
Impacts of
Climate Change
in Namibia
Glossary:
References:
Atmosphere
The gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth.
The dry atmosphere consists almost entirely of
nitrogen and oxygen, together with trace gases
including carbon dioxide and ozone.
Adaptation
Adjustment in natural or human systems in
response to actual or expected climatic stimuli
or their effects, which moderates harm or
exploits beneficial opportunities.
Mitigation
An anthropogenic intervention to reduce the
anthropogenic forcing of the climate system;
it includes strategies to reduce greenhouse
gas sources and emissions and enhancing
greenhouse gas sinks.
Extreme weather events
An event that is rare within its statistical
reference distribution at a particular place.
Definitions of ‘rare’ vary, but an extreme
weather event would normally be as rare as
or rarer than the 10th or 90th percentile. By
definition, the characteristics of what is called
‘extreme weather’ may vary from place to place.
Extreme weather events may typically include
floods and droughts.
DRFN. (2008 and 2013). Climate change vulnerability adaptation
assessment Namibia. Windhoek: Ministry of Environment and
Tourism.
Government of Namibia (GRN) (2009). Second National
Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change. Windhoek: Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
IPCC (2014). Summary for Policy Makers. Climate Change 2014:
Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
IPCC (2014). Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation and
vulnerability. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Midgley, G., Hughes, G., Thuiller, W., Drew, G., & Foden, W. (2005).
Assessment of potential climate change impacts on Namibia’s
floristic diversity, ecosystem structure and function. Cape Town:
South African National Biodiversity Institute.
Reid, H., Sahlén, L., MacGregor, J., & Stage, J. (2007). The economic
impact of climate change in Namibia: How climate change will
affect the contribution of Namibia’s natural resources to its
economy. Environmental Economics Programme Discussion
Paper 07- 02. London: International Institute for Environment and
Development. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from http://www.iied.
org/pubs/pdfs/15509IIED.pdf
Greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases are those gaseous
constituents of the atmosphere, both natural
and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit
radiation at specific wavelengths within the
spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the
Earth’s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds. This
property causes the greenhouse effect. Water
vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous
oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are
the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth’s
atmosphere. As well as CO2, N2O, and CH4, the
Kyoto Protocol deals with the greenhouse gases
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
Resilience
The ability of a social or ecological system to
absorb disturbances while retaining the same
basic structure and ways of functioning, the
capacity for self-organisation, and the capacity
to adapt to stress and change.
Author:
Mwala Lubinda
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
September, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#2
FACT SHEET ON:
Water Innovations
INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TOWARDS WATER SECURITY IN
NAMIBIA
The purpose of this fact sheet is to share information
on the innovative approaches that have been
implemented in Namibia, to minimise the impacts
of water insecurity due to climate variability.
Introduction
Namibia is an arid to semi-arid country with scarce
and unpredictable rainfall and the average annual
rainfall is 250 millimetres per annum. Most of
Namibia receives summer rainfall, except for the
south-western part that receives some winter
rainfall. Due to the erratic rainfall conditions,
the flow in the rivers in the interior of Namibia is
ephemeral, irregular and unreliable. The potential
of the ephemeral surface water sources is therefore
very limited and the water can only be used when
the runoff is harnessed in dams during the rainy
season. The pattern of rainfall is highly seasonal
with rain during the summer months (between
October and April) in the north and winter rainfall
in the south. The perennial rivers are located at
the northern and southern borders of Namibia;
hence all four of these rivers (Okavango, Kunene,
Zambezi and Orange-Senqu) form part of shared
watercourses with other States situated along the
banks of these rivers.
Demand centres located in the interior of the
country are far from the perennial water systems
and centres typically rely for water supply on dams
built on ephemeral river systems (Kinyaga, 2015).
Namibia’s water demand challenges include:
•
As indicated by Heyns 2008, the agricultural
sector is the largest water use sector in the
country. Over 40% of water demand is for
irrigation. The demand is expected to increase
•
•
to about 65% by the year 2030. Irrigation mainly
takes place on the perennial river systems.
There are irrigation schemes at the Hardap
and Naute dams in the south, Stampriet and
Karst aquifers, Etunda and Ngonga Linena
irrigation schemes in the northern parts of the
country (Heyns, 2008).
Meeting domestic water and industrial
demand in the interior of Namibia is becoming
a challenge due to increasing population
caused by urbanisation. This calls for
improving operations and management of
water infrastructure as well as investments
into innovative systems to address the water
needs (IWRM Joint Venture, 2008b).
The basic policy and legal framework
incorporating IWRM is well established in the
Water Resources Management Act, Act 24 of
2013 but the associated regulations (through
which the Act is enforceable) lag behind. For
this reason water use, abstraction as well as
pollution control are still regulated through the
Regulations associated with the outdated 1956
Water Act (Kinyaga, 2015).
The World Resources Institute (WRI)
recently scored and ranked future water
stress – a measure of competition for and
depletion of surface water – in 167 countries
for the years 2020, 2030, and 2040. Of these,
33 countries face extremely high water
stress in 2040. Projections indicate that
Chile, Estonia, Namibia, and Botswana
could face an especially significant increase
in water stress by 2040. This means that
businesses, farms, and communities in
these countries may be more vulnerable to
scarcity than they are today.
FIGURE 1:
Omdel Dam Artificial
Recharge Enhancement
Project on the
Omaruru River
Innovative Approaches to
ensure secure water supply
Namibia implements various water conservation
and water demand management approaches.
Innovative approaches to addressing the country’s
water insecurity include the following:
Inter-basin transfers and integrated
use of dams
Inter-basin transfer is when water is transferred
from one water basin to another. Windhoek, which
is also the biggest industrial and financial centre
in Namibia relies mainly on three major dams, the
Von Bach and Swakoppoort dams on the Swakop
River and the Omatako Dam for its water supply.
Future planning to provide sufficient security of
supply for Windhoek is based on the integrated
use of the three dams together with banking of
groundwater in the Windhoek aquifer and the
conjunctive use with the groundwater resources
of the Karst Area (IWRM Plan Joint Venture Namibia,
2010).
Artificial enhancement of aquifer
recharge and water banking
Artificial recharge is when surface water runoff
is stored in a dam to allow sediments and silt to
settle without addition of chemicals in the dam.
The Omdel Dam artificial recharge enhancement
project situated some 40km east of Henties Bay
on the Omaruru River is one such example of
this innovative technology (IWRM Plan Joint Venture
Namibia, 2010). Water banking is when water is
purposely diverted and stored underground to be
used in periods of scarcity.
Groundwater can be created by using dewatered
aquifer space to store water during the years when
there is abundant rainfall. This water can then be
pumped and used during years that don’t have a
surplus of water (https://en.wikipedia.org, 2015).
In Windhoek, surface water from the Von Bach
Dam is purified in a water treatment plant and
stored underground in the Windhoek aquifer. This
results in lower evaporation and overflow losses
at the dam and in years that the surface water
sources (i.e. the three dams providing Windhoek
with water) cannot provide enough water, stored
underground water can be abstracted (IWRM Plan
Joint Venture (2010 b).
Water Reuse, Recycling and
Reclamation
Reuse, recycling and reclamation are technologies
that allow for water that has already been used
to be utilised again. The Gammams wastewater
treatment plant is the county’s biggest wastewater
treatment plant with a capacity 26 Ml/day (One
mega litre of water is equal to one million litres
of water. That is 1000 cubic metres. Semi-purified
water is pumped from this plant to the new
Goreangab Reclamation Plant where the water is
further treated and supplied to the residents of
the City of Windhoek.
Overall, water that is supplied to a water user by
means of a water scheme is not free and has a cost.
The water cost comprises a fixed cost component
to recover the capital and interest required to
develop the water scheme and a variable cost
component to recover the cost to operate the
water scheme. Figure 3 explains how the financial
cost of supplied water is calculated.
This water undergoes various processes to ensure
that the water supplied is safe and potable (IWRM
Plan Joint Venture Namibia. 2010). Positive efforts
are being undertaken by the private sector.
Namibia Breweries Limited, has a system in place
that makes reuse of the backwash water from
the carbon filters for washing of vehicles and
irrigation of gardens. Carbon filtering is generally
used in water filtration systems whereby a bed
of activated carbons, through the process of
chemical absorption, is used to remove chemicals
and contaminants. (https://en.wikipedia.org)
THE COST OF WATER:
Factors affecting the calculation
of the cost of water
WATER
SOURCE
Transfer system
from water source to
treatment facilities
E.g: Dams, Rivers &
Boreholes
TREATMENT
FACILITY
Transfer system from
treatment facility to
water consumers
Facilities to treat
water, to make it
safe for drinking use
WATER
CONSUMERS
FIGURE 2:
Areva Desalination Plant
Desalination of sea water and
brackish groundwater
ACCESS TO WATER
Desalination is the removal of salts, minerals and
impurities in water. The Areva mine desalination
plant located at Wlotzkasbaken, 30 km north of
Swakopmund, is the first of its kind in southern
Africa. The plant utilises state of the art technologies
including rotary filters, multi-stage ultrafiltration,
reverse osmosis, and chemical treatment to treat
seawater to a potable state that can be used for
mining purposes (http://www.areva.com, 2015).
The CuveWaters project has installed innovative
desalination pilot plants in the two villages of
Amarika and Akutsima in northern Namibia. These
plants operate on solar energy and can produce
up to 5 m³ (5 000 litres) water per day, which is
used by the residents for every day needs.
FIGURE 3:
Factors affecting the calculation of the cost of water
(Source: Developed by HSF with reference to the article 'The Cost
of Water' by Piet Heyns, DRFN).
Conclusion
References:
In view of the arid nature of the climate of the
country, a vast array of innovative activities
have taken place over many years to ensure
water security. These have resulted in the
development of policies, legislation, plans
and strategies in an endeavour to achieve the
overall goals of water resource management
and sustainable water use. To ensure
sustainable long-term access to water,
effective management and conservation
of the country’s water resources; the
government of Namibia, will have to
strengthen national capacities to reduce
climate change risks and build resilience for
any climate change shocks by increasing its
investments towards innovative approaches
Maria Amakali. 2015. Presentation on Country Situational
Report- Country Profile, key water challenges, Planned
interventions for SADC water week.
to ensure water security.
Glossary:
Water security
Having sufficient water resources to meet the
demands of the country’s main sectors.
Ephemeral rivers
Rivers that flow only after heavy rainfall.
IWRM Plan Joint Venture Namibia. 2010. Integrated
water resources management plan for Namibia, Report
1. Report prepared for Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry (MAWF).
IWRM Plan Joint Venture (2010 b). Development of
an Integrated Water Resources Management Plan for
Namibia. Theme Report 2: The Assessment of Resource
Potential and Development needs. Ministry of Agriculture
Water and Forestry (MAWF).
Piet Heyns. 2013. Presentation on Water Resources in the
Cuvelai Etosha Basin
Piet Heyns. 2008. Namibia Zaragoza Expo
Viviane Kinyaga. 2015. Situation report: Namibia. Global
Water Partnership – Southern Africa
CuveWaters. Groundwater Desalination. 2015.
Available on: http://www.cuvewaters.net/GroundwaterDesalination.77.0.html. Accessed 1 September 2015.
Areva. Areva Resources Namibia: More than just
mining. 2015. Available on: http://www.areva.com/EN/
operations-595/areva-resources-namibia-training-andmining-projects.html. Accessed 1 September 2015
Wikipedia. Water Banking. 2015. Available on: https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_banking.Accessed 1
September 2015.
Wikipedia. Carbon filtering. 2013. Available on: https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_filtering. Accessed 15
September 2015.
Perennial rivers
Rivers that flow throughout the year.
Aquifers
Geological formations in which groundwater is found
and this water is abstracted through boreholes.
River basin
Water catchment which is demarcated according to
the common drainage flows of major water sources
such as rivers, groundwater systems (aquifers),
water supply canals and pipelines.
Authors:
Bernadette Shalumbu and Rennie Munyayi
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
September, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#3
FACT SHEET ON:
Saving Water
Practical Options For Conserving Water At Home
Water is a precious resource, particularly for an
arid country like Namibia. Unfortunately, the
large amount of water used by households has a
significant environmental impact, so saving water
means protecting the environment and sustaining
our long-term development. The purpose of this
fact sheet is to share information on simple
practices that save water, energy, and money whilst
protecting the environment.
Introduction
Water is important for all forms of life. The
availability of water, amongst many factors, sets
the limit to the amount of life that can exist in any
landscape.
As human populations and economies grow, so
does the demand for water while the availability
of the resource may remain relatively unchanged.
As demand increases, it is increasingly important
to manage and use water more carefully to ensure
there is enough for all, including the environment.
It is predicted that, even without the additional
stresses of climate change on the water resources
in Namibia, demand will have surpassed the
installed abstraction capacity by 2015 (Republic of
Namibia, 2011).
Namibia aims to address its increasing water
scarcity through both supply- and demand-side
interventions within a framework of Integrated
Water Resources Management (IBID). The focus is
on measures to reduce evaporation and improving
water resource use efficiency.
Did you know?
OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE IS WATER
97
%
OF THE EARTHS WATER IS IN THE
OCEANS AND SEAS - 3% IS FRESH
WATER IN GLACIERS, LAKES,
GROUND WATER, RIVERS, AND
THE ATMOSPHERE.
WATER IS A FINITE RESOURCE,
WHICH MEANS THAT WE DO NOT
HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY. LESS
THAN 1% OF ALL THE WATER
ON EARTH CAN BE USED BY
PEOPLE SO THE REST IS EITHER
PERMANENTLY FROZEN OR IS
SALT WATER.
NAMIBIA IS THE DRIEST
COUNTRY SOUTH OF THE
SAHARA AND WATER IS SCARCE.
ALL THE RIVERS IN NAMIBIA’S
INTERIOR ARE EPHEMERAL,
WHICH MEANS THEY FLOW ONLY
AFTER INTENSIVE RAINS. THEIR
SURFACE WATER POTENTIAL IS
LIMITED BECAUSE THEY RELY
DIRECTLY ON VARIABLE (OFTEN
LOW) RAINFALL.
FIGURE 1:
Quantities for the
water cycle applicable
to Namibia
(Source : http://www.
iwrm-namibia.info.na/images/sml127440a2070cc0c112.jpg)
Currently, of the water that falls as
rainfall in Namibia, 83% evaporates,
1% recharges groundwater, 14%
returns to the atmosphere through
evapotranspiration, with only 2%
remaining for runoff and potential
surface water storage.
Why saving water matters?
•
•
•
•
Water is necessary to sustain life - water
equals life. However, fresh water is a finite
and vulnerable resource.
Water is the primary limiting factor to
development in Namibia.
If you use less water you also save on energy.
Water is important for protecting and
sustaining vital ecosystems.
Some practical tips for
saving water at home
Turn off the tap when you brush
your teeth – This can save 6 litres of
water per minute. The same is true
when washing dishes. Do not wash
dishes with running water in the sink.
Do not use the toilet as a waste
basket - Every time you flush a facial
tissue or other small bit of rubbish,
you waste up to 12 litres of water for
an old style toilet, while the new one uses up to 9
litres.
Flush with less water - You can
reduce the amount of water used
by your flush toilet by placing a brick
or two water-filled 500 ml plastic
bottles in your cistern. If you flush the toilet five
times in day, you use on average 50 litres of water.
This is the basic amount of clean water that a
rural person needs for an entire day’s household
requirements.
Save water when bathing The bathroom is usually the
largest consumer of water in any
household. Installing a water-saving
showerhead and a timer in your shower can
dramatically reduce your water use. A standard
showerhead may use up to 25 litres of water per
minute whereas a water-efficient showerhead will
use as little as seven litres per minute. In addition,
limit your shower time to 5 minutes. The average
5-minute shower requires only 40 litres of water.
When bathing in a tub, you use between 150 and
200 litres of water. As such, ensure your tub is not
filled beyond a 10cm depth.
Keeping a bottle of drinking water
in the refrigerator - Running tap
water to cool it off for drinking is
wasteful. If you do not drink all of
the water in your glass, rather than throwing the
rest down the drain, use it to water a plant.
Always use full loads in your
washing machine and dishwasher
– This cuts out unnecessary washes
in between. Set your washing
machine to an appropriate water level when doing
your laundry. You can also save energy by washing
in cold water. Front loading washing machines use
significantly less water than top loaders, and also
require less energy and soap. While the investment
may be higher to begin with − in the long term they
will save water, energy and money.
Fix a dripping tap - If you cannot
completely close a tap, then you
need to replace the washer. Washers
are cheap and easy to replace. A
dripping tap can waste up to 60 litres of water a
day, which adds up to 1800 litres a month.
Purchase and use water saving
devices - Invest in water-efficient
and water saving devices when you
need to replace household products.
These include water-efficient showerheads, taps,
low-flush toilets, washing machines, dishwashers,
taps which turn themselves off and many other
water-saving products.
Use a bucket to wash cars – Instead
of using a hose pipe or a pressured
nozzle, use a bucket to wash, it could
save up to 90% of the water you
might usually use for washing your car.
Sweep the pavement - Use a broom,
not a hose to clean pavements,
driveways, patios, and sidewalks.
Reuse grey water - Install a water
butt to your drainpipe and use
the water collected to water your
plants, clean your car and wash your
windows.
Find and fix leaks – You can check
whether you have leaks in your
system or not by turning off all taps
and seeing if the water meter is still
running. Read your water meter regularly, at least
once per month. Leaks should be fixed as soon as
they are noticed or huge amounts of water can be
wasted.
Do not break or damage water
pipelines – If you live in an area
where water is supplied by pipeline,
do not damage it in any way. Not
only does this waste water but it also denies people
down the pipeline access to water.
Water your garden with a watering
can rather than a hosepipe - A
hosepipe uses 1,000 litres of water
an hour. Mulching your plants (with
bark chippings, heavy compost or straw) and
watering in the early morning and late afternoon
will reduce evaporation and also save water. You
can also reduce the need to water your garden by
planting drought tolerant native plants. Ask your
local nursery for advice.
FIGURE 2:
Grey water system in Omaheke region (piloted by
DRFN)
Conclusion
References:
We all use water for many different
things, but while using it we should always
remember that water use today should not
jeopardize the quality or quantity available
in the future. So play your role by conserving
water through adopting a new approach
to water use. Use water efficiently, reuse,
recycle and conserve this finite resource.
IWRM plan joint venture Namibia. 2010. Thematic report 1.
Development of an integrated water resources management
plan for Namibia - Consolidation of national water development
strategy and action plan – Review and assessment of existing
situation
IWRM plan joint venture Namibia. 2010. Thematic report 2.
Development of an integrated water resources management
plan for Namibia - Consolidation of national water development
strategy and action plan – The assessment of resources potential
and development needs
DRFN.1994. More about water in Namibia. Part two of a resource
package to develop awareness to water.
DRFN. 1995. Sink or swim. Water and the Namibian Environment
Glossary:
DRFN. 2012. WATSAN Project
Grey water
Refers to all waste water generated from
households. This untreated waste water
should not contain any feacal matter. Grey
water is normally generated from the kitchen
sink, shower, bath tub, washing machine, dish
washer and any other household activities
excluding the toilet.
Heyns, P., Montgomery, S., Pallett J., & Seely, M., Eds. (1998).
Namibia’s Water. A Decision makers’ guide. Windhoek,
Department of Water Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Water
and rural development and the Desert Research Foundation of
Namibia
DRFN. 2015. IWRM Community Manual
Blue water
Refers to fresh surface and groundwater, in
other words, the water in freshwater lakes,
rivers and aquifers.
Green water
Refers to the precipitation on land that does
not run off or recharge the groundwater but
is stored in the soil or temporarily stays on top
of the soil or vegetation. Eventually, this part of
precipitation evaporates or transpires through
plants.
Hoekstra, A.Y., Chapagain, A.K., Aldaya, M.M. and Mekonnen,
M.M. 2011. The water footprint assessment manual: Setting the
global standard, Earthscan, London, UK. Available at: http://
waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/glossary/ Retrieved17
September 2015
MAWF. Hydrological cycle. 2012. Available at: http://www.iwrmnamibia.info.na/iwrm/fundaments-in-iwrm/hidrological-cycle/
index.php Retrieved 21/09/2015
Republic of Namibia. (July 2002). Initial National Communication
to the United Nations framework convention on climate change.
Windhoek. Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Republic of Namibia. (July 2011) Namibia Second National
Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change. Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Author:
Greater Mukumbira
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
September, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#4
FACT SHEET ON:
Water Pollution
THE UPPER SWAKOP BASIN - IMPLICATIONS IN
THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The purpose of this fact sheet is to highlight the
implications of water pollution in the Upper Swakop
Basin and its impacts in the face of climate change.
Introduction
The Upper Swakop Basin is one of 12 Water
Basins in Namibia. As stipulated in the Basin
Management Approach (BMA) Guidebook (MAWF,
2013); a number of criteria are used to demarcate
such basins, these include:
•
•
•
•
•
geographic extent of surface and groundwater
catchments
water supply infrastructure and schemes
land use
administrative regions and areas
population density and settlement
As highlighted in a report written by
Pazvakawambwa et al., (2012), the Central Area of
Namibia (CAN), which is supplied with water from
the Upper Swakop Basin (part of the Swakop River
catchment upstream of the Swakoppoort and Von
Bach dams), is facing a water supply crisis due to
the increasing pollution of the Swakoppoort Dam,
one of the major water sources. If this situation
is allowed to continue, the water security for the
Khomas Region, as well as parts of Erongo and
Otjozondjupa Regions will be compromised, with
resultant negative impacts on the economy of the
country.
The CAN makes a major contribution to Namibia’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and many
industries within this area are highly dependent on
the availability of water. The area comprises of the
City of Windhoek and the towns of Okahandja and
Karibib, among other consumers. Windhoek is the
capital city of Namibia and sits in the catchment of
Swakoppoort and von Bach dams, from which the
city is supplied.
The veins of the Upper Swakop River and its
tributaries drain through the City of Windhoek and
Okahandja Town. An integration of three dams,
namely Omatako, Von Bach and Swakoppoort,
in conjunction with groundwater, supplies
the CAN. Omatako dam is a tributary of the
Okavango and water is pumped from there to
von Bach immediately after it rains. Windhoek
and Okahandja and a large number of scattered
industries lie within the Upper Swakop Basin, and
they contribute significant pollution loads into
some if the source dams. Figure 1 depicts the
Upper Swakop Basin.
In view of the economic importance of the CAN
the risk of water shortages occurring within the
CAN over the next 10 years, i.e. until 2021, is
unacceptably high, both in terms of the predicted
magnitudes as well as the probabilities of such
shortfalls occurring.
FIGURE 1:
The Upper Swakop Basin
(Source: www.iwrm-namibia.info.na)
In view of the economic importance of the CAN
the risk of water shortages occurring within the
CAN over the next 10 years, i.e. until 2021, is
unacceptably high, both in terms of the predicted
magnitudes as well as the probabilities of such
shortfalls occurring. The Swakoppoort Dam has a
major impact on the quantity and security of water
supply in the Central Area/Upper Swakop Basin.
The deteriorating water quality of Swakoppoort
Dam increases the risk of not having enough water
in the Central Area (Pazvakawambwa et.al., 2012).
Impact of Climate Change
on the Upper Swakop Basin
Namibia is a water scarce country where potential
evaporation exceeds precipitation. The semiarid conditions make Namibian water resources
vulnerable, where the impact of human activities
and increased population pressure usually
exceeds the natural impacts. Even without human
influence, climate variability and climate change
will bring about added stress to Namibia’s water
resources. Global warming will contribute to a
change in temperature of 1°C to 3.5°C in summer
and 1°C to 4°C in winter in Namibia, which will lead
to increases in evaporation and evapotranspiration
in the range of 5-15% (MET, 2008).
Low or no rainfall patterns have been occurring
over the CAN in recent years since 2011 and as a
result, the dam levels have been drastically reduced
leading to reduced flows and lower groundwater
levels, putting such ecosystems at risk of being
permanently threatened.
The Climate Change Adaptability and Vulnerability
Assessment Report (2008) highlights that high
water temperatures and longer periods of low flow
tend to exacerbate many forms of water pollution.
Pollutants include sediments, nutrients, dissolved
organic carbon, pathogens, pesticides and salt.
When runoff declines we could find a reduction in
the services provided by the water resources, thus
climate change could affect not only the quantity
of water, but also the quality.
The Swakoppoort Dam is one of the reservoirs which
central Namibia, and in particular the Upper Swakop
Basin, depends on for water
Conclusion
The CAN is a center for many industrial, agricultural,
mining and domestic activities, each of them relying
on water resources. Because of its arid condition,
the security of water supply in this area, and in
particular the Upper Swakop Basin, is strongly
dependent on both the quality and quantity of raw
water in the Omatako, Von Bach and Swakoppoort
dams. While considerable attention has been
devoted to the optimization of the quantity of
water from these dams, little is actually done with
regards to the protection of the quality of the
sources of water in this Basin. Prevention of water
pollution is the responsibility of all, based on the
principle that any person disposing of any effluent
or waste has not only a duty of care to prevent
pollution, but the responsibility to pay for the
measures to prevent such pollution.
Glossary:
References:
Water Pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies
(e.g. rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This
form of environmental degradation occurs when
pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into
water bodies without adequate treatment to remove
harmful compounds.
River Basin
A river basin is the land that water flows across or
under on its way to a river. Just as a bathtub catches
all of the water that falls within its sides, a river basin
sends all of the water falling within it to a central
river and out to an estuary or to the ocean.
Basin Management Approach-A Guidebook. Second
Edition. 2013. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.
Windhoek, Namibia.
Pazvakawambwa G.T., Tjipangandjara K.F and Chulu E.
2012. Workshop Proceedings: Management of the Upper
Swakop Basin. NamWater. Windhoek, Namibia.
Dirkx E., Hager C., Tadross M., Bethune S., and Curtis
B. 2008. Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation
Assessment Namibia. 2008. Ministry of Environment and
Tourism. Windhoek, Namibia.
Surface Runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the
flow of water that occurs when excess stormwater,
meltwater, or other sources flows over the earth’s
surface.
Water Quality
Water quality refers to the chemical, physical,
biological, and radiological characteristics of water.
It is a measure of the condition of water relative to
the requirements of one or more biotic species and
or to any human need or purpose.
Author:
Bernadette Shalumbu
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
October, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#5
FACT SHEET ON:
Climate Smart
Agriculture
The purpose of this fact sheet is to share information
on the benefits of adopting Climate Smart
Agriculture as a strategy to cope with challenges
posed by climate change in Namibia.
Introduction
In Namibia, agriculture and forestry contributes
5.1% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and
livestock alone contributes 3.5% which is a
contribution of 68.63 % to the Agricultural GDP
(Namibia Statistical Agency’s, 2012).
In addition, agriculture plays a critical role in the
formal and informal economy supporting 70%
of the population directly or indirectly through
employment and income generation (Ministry of
Environment and Tourism, 2015).
Crop production activities in Namibia are limited,
mainly due to the arid climate and low rainfall
patterns. Small-scale farmers use traditional
methods of production that are characterised
by low productivity (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Finland, 2015).
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, 2015).
In light of these challenges, Namibia needs to
adapt its agricultural practices and increase the
resilience of livelihoods to be able to withstand
the challenges posed by Climate Change to
sustain development and growth of the country.
This is why Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an
important topic for discussion at all levels of the
society.
Agriculture in the face of
Climate Change
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to
climate change. Negative impacts of climate
change are already being felt, in the form of
reduced yields and more frequent extreme
weather events. Substantial investments
in adaptation will be required to maintain
current yields and achieve the increases that
are needed.
This weakens the food security of the population
and the dependence on rain-fed agriculture
increases the vulnerability of farming systems and
predisposes rural households to food insecurity
and poverty.
While there is significant variation across
crops, regions and adaptation scenarios,
the majority of models predict a yield
reduction of more than 5% with around 10%
of projections expecting yield losses of more
than 25% (IPCC, 2014).
It is projected that the reduction in crop yields
will have devastating impacts on food security
at both national and household levels. Under
the current conditions, the agriculture sector in
Namibia needs to grow by 4% a year to meet the
food requirements for the expanding population
Agriculture is also a major part of the
climate problem. It currently generates 19
– 29% of green house gas (GHG) emissions.
Without action, that percentage could rise
substantially as other sectors reduce their
emissions.
What is Climate Smart
Agriculture?
How Can Agriculture be
Climate Smart?
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) integrates the
three dimensions of sustainable development
(economic, social and environmental) by jointly
addressing food security and climate challenges
(FAO, 2009). In this view, Climate Smart Agriculture
is composed of three main pillars:
I. Crop production
1. Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity
and incomes - Namibia needs to produce
more food to improve food and nutrition
security and boost the incomes of 70 percent
of the Namibian population which relies on
agriculture for their livelihoods.
2. Adapting and building resilience to Climate
Change - there is need to reduce vulnerability
to drought, pests, disease and other shocks;
and improve capacity to adapt and grow in
the face of longer-term stresses like shortened
seasons and erratic weather patterns.
3. Reducing and/or removing greenhouse gases
emissions, where possible – there is need to
pursue lower emissions for each calorie or kilo
of food produced, avoid deforestation from
agriculture and identify ways to suck carbon
out of the atmosphere (FAO, 2009 and World
Bank Group, 2014).
Main elements of Climate
Smart Agriculture
CSA is not a set of practices that can be universally
applied, but rather an approach that involves
different elements embedded in local contexts
(CGIAR, 2013). Elements which can be integrated
in Climate Smart Agricultural approaches include:
•
•
•
Management of farms, crops, livestock,
aquaculture and capture fisheries to manage
resources better, produce more with less while
increasing resilience,
Ecosystem and landscape management to
conserve ecosystem services that are key to
increase at the same time resource efficiency
and resilience, and
Services for farmers and land managers to
enable them to implement the necessary
changes.
Most of the Greenhouse Gas emissions of the
agricultural sector are directly driven by the use
of natural resources for instance new land being
deforested or turned from grassland to crop land,
use of fertilisers, livestock rearing and energy.
Fertiliser applications lead to the production and
emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), whilst livestock
especially cattle, produce methane (CH4) as part of
their digestion (EPA, 2015). Increasing efficiency in
the use of resources (simply put, producing more
of a given output using less of a given input) is thus
key to reducing emissions intensity per kilogram
of agricultural output as well as to improve food
security, especially in resource scarce areas.
In addition, agriculture is recognised as an
important practice leading to high levels of
deforestation, therefore if we reduce agricultural
expansion through sustainable intensification
on already cultivated land (increasing the output
on the same piece of land without further
deforestation), this could have a major lessening
effect on rates of deforestation.
Can smallholder
agriculture contribute to
emissions reduction?
Smallholder agriculture has a rich and
untapped potential for emissions reductions
that are in the interests of farmers
themselves. For example planting acacia
trees in maize fields in Africa has led to
yields even doubling, while the resilience
of the soil to land degradation has been
increased by improving its organic and
nitrogen content, water retention capacity
and microclimate moderation. At the same
time, this is reducing soil carbon emissions
by maintaining greenery and promoting tree
growth and biodiversity, which provides a
diversified habitat and a source of food for
both wild and domesticated animals.
Source: IFAD, 2011
II. Livestock sector
According to Steinfeld et al., 2006; the livestock sector has expanded rapidly in recent decades and
will continue to do so as demand for meat, eggs and dairy products is expected to continue to grow.
Therefore, there is urgent need for improved efficiency and resource use of the livestock production
systems, to both improve food security and reduce the intensity of GHG emissions.
Table 1, below summarises some climate smart practices that can be adopted in smallholder agriculture
production in Namibia.
Crop Management
Livestock management
Solid and waste
management
Agro Forestry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intercropping with
legumes
Crop rotations
New crop varieties
(e.g. drought
resistant)
Improved storage and
processing techniques
Greater crop diversity
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improved feeding
strategies
Rotational grazing
Fodder crops
Grassland restoration
and conservation
Manure treatment
Improved livestock
health
Animal husbandry
improvements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Conservation
agriculture (e.g.
minimum tillage)
Contour planting
Terraces and bunds
Planting pits
Water storage (e.g.
water pans)
Dams, pits, ridges
Improved irrigation
(e.g. drip)
•
•
•
•
•
Boundary trees and
hedgerows
Nitrogen-fixing trees
on farms
Multi - purpose trees
Improved fallow with
fertiliser shrubs
Woodlots
Fruit orchards
III. Reducing food losses in the supply chain
Food losses and waste in the supply chain also means that the GHG emitted during their production have
served no useful purpose. This is especially true when the food has reached the end of the food chain,
when the embedded emissions for transport and conservation/preservation are very high. This fact is
ultimately a failure of economic and natural resource efficiency. Figure 2 below shows how food waste
can be reduced.
"Global food losses and
waste amount to a third
of all food produced."
(Gustavsson et al., 2011)
TABLE 2:
Food Waste Pyramid
( Source: UNEP/FAO, 2013)
Source: Neufeldt H, 2011
TABLE 1:
Climate-smart practices useful in smallholder agricultural production
Conclusion
There is urgent need to transition from
reflecting on the vast impacts food systems
has on emissions that exacerbate climate
change to seizing agriculture’s potential to
reduce that impact and adapt to a changing
climate.
References:
Environmental Protection Agency. 2015. Sources of Greenhouse Emissions.
Available at http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources/
agriculture.html
FAO. 2002. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2001. Rome.
FAO. 2009. The State of Food and Agriculture: Livestock in the Balance.
Rome.
FAO. 2013. Climate Smart Agriculture Sourcebook. Rome
Available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3325e.pdf
FAO. 2015. Climate Smart Agriculture Sourcebook. Available at www.fao.org
Glossary
Food security
A situation that exists when all people, at all times,
have physical, social and economic access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life (FAO. 2002).
Sustainable development
“Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.” from the World Commission on Environment and
Development’s (the Brundtland Commission) report
Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1987).
Sustainable intensification
Sustainable agricultural intensification is defined as
producing more output from the same area of land
while reducing the negative environmental impacts
and at the same time increasing contributions
to natural capital and the flow of environmental
services (Pretty, 2011).
Adaptation
The UNFCCC defines it as actions taken to
help communities and ecosystems cope with
changing climate condition. The IPCC describes
it as adjustment in natural or human systems in
response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, which moderates harm or exploits
beneficial opportunities.
Gross Domestic Product
The monetary value of final goods and services—
that is, those that are bought by the final user—
produced in any country in a given period of time
(say a quarter or a year).
Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., Sonesson, U., van Otterdijk, R. and Meybeck,
A. 2011. Global food losses and food waste: extent, causes and prevention.
Rome, FAO. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/mb060e/
mb060e00.pdf
High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE). 2012. Food security and climate change.
A report by the HLPE on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on
World Food Security, Rome.
HLPE Report, 2014. Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food
systems. Available at http://www.un.org/en/zerohunger/pdfs/HLPE_FLW_
Report-8_EN.pdf
IFAD. 2011. Climate-Smart Smallholder Agriculture: What’s different?
Available at http://www.ifad.org/pub/op/3.pdf
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Available at: https://
www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/annexessglossary-a-d.html
Joint Guidelines for Crop and Food Security Assessment Missions (CFSAMs).
Available at ftp://ftp.fao. org/docrep/fao/011/i0515e/i0515e.pdf).
Ministry of Environment and Tourism. 2015. Country Climate Smart
Agriculture Programme. Available at http://canafrica.com/publication/
namibia-country-climate-smart-agriculture-program/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. 2015. Farmers Clubs with ClimateSmart Agriculture for Improved Resilience and Livelihoods of Small-scale
Farmers in Kavango. Available at http://www.formin.fi/public/default.aspx?c
ontentid=328492&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
Neufeldt H, Kristjanson P, Thorlakson T, Gassner A, Norton-Griffiths M, Place
F, Langford K, 2011. ICRAF Policy Brief 12: Making climate-smart agriculture
work for the poor. Nairobi, Kenya. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
Oxford University Press. 1987. The World Commission on Environment and
Development’s (the Brundtland Commission) report Our Common Future,
Oxford.
Pretty, J. 2011. Agriclutural Sustainability: Concepts, Principles and
Evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 363
(1491), 447 – 466.
UNEP/FAO. 2013. Final post in the series on food waste, for UNEP/FAO
World Environment Day 2013. Reduce your foodprint Think. Eat. Save
campaign. Available at http://arebelwithacause.org/2013/02/28/think-eatsave5/
Authors:
Emilia Chioreso and Rennie Munyayi
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
September, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#6
FACT SHEET ON:
Green Economy
The purpose of this fact sheet is to pose some
compelling questions and present answers to
explain what is a green economy and why it is
important for Namibia.
“We are determined
to build a nation in
which no Namibian
will be left out….”
An excerpt from the State of the Nation Address by H.E
President HAGE G. GEINGOB on the 21st April 2015.
Introduction
When Presidents speak, they pronounce policies,
which are guidelines that shape, among others:
economic growth, employment creation and
poverty alleviation. To better understand this
statement by the President, is important to pose
some rhetorical questions:
•
•
•
What is a green economy?
The green economy is an economy that results
in improved human well-being and social equity,
while significantly reducing environmental risks
and ecological scarcities. In other words, it is an
economy that generates jobs, alleviates poverty,
and creates wealth for the country. Social equity
means, among other things, that jobs that are
created and wealth that is generated by the
economy are accessible to and equally shared by
all Namibians (i.e. this presents a meaning of “no
Namibian should be left behind”). Finally since
the green economy is environmental friendly, it
means that our country’s natural resources are
used efficiently and sustainably so that future
generations will also be able to benefit from
natural resources.
FUNDAMENTAL DIMENSIONS
OF A GREEN ECONOMY
What did the President actually mean when he
said no Namibian should be left behind?
How will the President ensure that no Namibian
is left behind?
What does that mean for government policy
on economic development, employment and
poverty alleviation?
Well there are no clearcut answers to these
rhetorical questions. However, globally and even
nationally, economist and development specialist
are proposing a new concept of economic
development, a new way of thinking, a new way of
addressing the persistent challenges that Namibia
is facing. This concept is called the green economy.
The Green Economy is one of the approaches that can
be used to achieve sustainable development. There
is no one approach to a green economy. A green
economy does not favour one political perspective
over another; it is relevant to all economies.
A GREEN ECONOMY IS LIKE A FOUR
WHEEL VEHICLE that can ensure that Namibia
achieves its sustainable development aspirations
enshrined in Vision 2030. The speed and direction
of the vehicle are informed by government
policy on development (i.e. the aspirations of the
Namibian President) and the four wheels. Each
of those four wheels are important for the speed
and direction of the vehicle. The two back wheels
represent economic development, the source of
jobs and wealth. The left front wheel represents
the environment, the right front wheel represents
social equity or inclusiveness. The two front wheels
ensures that the speed of the two back wheels
create wealth and jobs that are socially inclusive.
Because the front wheels are guiding the two back
wheels, this ensures that our vehicle will neither
crash nor have a breakdown during the journey to
vision 2030 and beyond.
Does Namibia need a
Green Economy?
Yes, because the country’s economic growth in
the last decade has not generated sufficient jobs
as it should have. Figure 1, shows a comparison
of economic growth (i.e. using real Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) as an indicator) and unemployment
rate. Figure 1 shows that although the economy
was growing, jobs were not created, and in some
periods, jobs were lost.
Namibia’s economic development has not been
socially inclusive – some Namibians are being leftout. The Namibia’s Gini coefficient, which shows the
extent to which the distribution of income among
individuals or households within an economy
deviates from a perfectly equal distribution, still
stands at 61.3 (World Bank, 2015). This implies that
the wealth that the economy has been generating
is by far not equally shared among citizens.
Furthermore, the quality of jobs in the economy is
not good. Based on labour statistics from Namibia
Statistics Agency:
•
59.9% of jobs in Namibia are in the informal
sector. These jobs are characterised by no
formal contract, no social security cover, no
medical cover, long working hours, etc. Thus,
the majority of these jobs can be classified
•
•
as not decent according to the International
Labour Organization’s decent work guidelines.
73.9% of employees earn a monthly income of
N$7,000 and less. This to some extent means
that a large proportion of employees can be
classified as the working poor.
64.4% of employees do not have social security,
and neither do they have a pension fund. This
means that most of the employees are likely
to retire to poverty, as they would not have a
pension to support their livelihoods. Another
implication is that government expenditure on
pensions is likely to increase.
Finally, the structural growth of the Namibian
economy is concentrated in sectors that do not
directly support the livelihoods of the majority
of the population. The key growth sectors of the
Namibian economy (excluding government) are
wholesale and retail trade and repairs; financial
intermediation and insurance; and real estate and
business services. These three sectors support
less than 21% of livelihoods in Namibia. Growth
in sectors have a marginal direct and indirect
impact on incomes of poor households. If growth
was realised on sectors such as agriculture and
sustainable tourism, significant impact on poverty
and income distribution would be achieved.
What does all this mean
to me?
A likely shift in government policy towards a
green economy would undoubtedly create new
opportunities for businesses (entrepreneurs)
and careers. For instance, power deficit in the
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
is creating opportunities for the renewable energy
value chain in the Region. A wide range of skills
within the context of the green economy are in
high demand in Namibia, and globally.
Finally, at the person level the green economy
is about a change in behaviour, it calls for more
responsibility on how we use our endowed natural
resources, it is about sustainably increasing the
nation’s wealth for the benefit of all Namibians –
current and future. Let us educate ourselves and
ensure that no Namibian is left behind!
GREEN GROWTH IS ECONOMIC
GROWTH THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE
Does the green economy
exist in Namibia?
Yes, economic sectors such as sustainable
agriculture, trade in non-timber forestry products,
indigenous animal and plant products, (i.e.
biotrade), fisheries, renewable energy, waste
management and sustainable tourism are
examples of green economy in Namibia. These
are growing sectors, and have the potential for
further growth in the future. These sectors are
relatively environmentally friendly, and some of
them are inclusive. Based on an estimation from
the study of the green economy in Namibia, these
sectors contributed about N$10.3 Billion (about
10.8% of GDP) to the Namibia economy in 2012.
Based on the 2013 labour force survey, only
3.4% of the total employment in Namibia can be
classified as green jobs – these are decent jobs
that contribute to preservation and or restoration
of the environment.
(Source: Poverty-Environment Partnership 2012.)
Further Reading
For more information about the green
economy – current initiatives and progress,
visit the Green Economy Initiative (GEI)
website which is hosted by the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
at http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy
A number of informative background
papers on the green economy in Namibia
can be accessed online on the Ministry of
Environment and Tourism (MET) website
under:
www.green-economynamibia.blogspot.com
References:
Alexander Toto, Suzanne Thalwitzer. 2009. RTEA Namibia
Sectoral Paper – EU sanitary Demands for Red Meat
Trade: Impact on Sustainable Development in Namibia.
http://www.iisd.org/tkn/research/pub.aspx?id=1194
Barnes J.I, Nhuleipo O., Muteyauli P.I, MacGregor J. 2005.
Preliminary economic asset and flow accounts for forest
resources in Namibia. www.the-eis.com/data/RDPs/
RDP70.pdf
von Oertzen, Detlof. 2009. RTEA Namibia Sectoral Paper
– Biochar in Namibia: Opportunities to Convert Bush
Encroachment into Carbon offsets. http://www.iisd.org/
tkn/research/pub.aspx?id=1192
Namibia Statistics Agency (2013). National Labour Force
Survey Report
Namibia Statistics Agency (2013). National Accounts
UNEP Green Economy Reports http://www.unep.org/
greeneconomy/
UNEP (2014). Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to
Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication.
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/
documents/ger/ger_final_dec_2011/Green%20
EconomyReport_Final_Dec2011.pdf
World Bank (2015). Gini Index (World bank estimate).
Glossary
Broad Unemployment
All persons within the economically active population or working age
group who meet the following two criteria irrespective of whether or
not they are actively seeking work: (i) being without work; and (ii)
being available for work.
Decent Jobs
These are jobs that are productive and deliver a fair income, security
in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects
for personal development and social integration, freedom for people
to express their concerns, organise and participate in the decisions
that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment of
all women and men.
Ecological Scarcities
An all-encompassing concept that is used to explain how the loss
of relationships between organisms and the environment, and
organisms with other organisms, will affect economic development.
Green Jobs
A human intervention to reduce the human-induced Decent jobs
that reduce negative environmental impact, and ultimately lead to
environmentally, economically and socially sustainable enterprises
and economies.
Gini Coefficient
This is an index that measures the extent to which the distribution
of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among
individuals or households within an economy deviates from a
perfectly equal distribution. A Gini coefficient of 0 represents perfect
equality, while a coefficient of 1 implies perfect inequality.
Gross Domestic Product
This is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in
the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not
included in the value of the products. It is a widely used indicator for
economic growth.
Social Equity
This is not a concise term, it is a concept whose meaning depends
on the context in which it is used. In this fact sheet, social equity is
defined to include the universal fulfilment of the most fundamental
human needs along with broad access to meaningful work, while
respecting the enormous range of life circumstances and personal
goals which may drive people to seek different kinds of livelihood.
Sustainable Development
This is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?page=1
Author:
Mwala Lubinda
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
October, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#7
FACT SHEET ON:
Land Degradation
IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY IN NAMIBIA
This fact sheet seeks to discuss what land
degradation is, and how it impacts on food security
in Namibia.
Introduction
Land degradation is a growing problem in drylands
world-wide (UNEP, 1999), as it generally signifies the
temporary or permanent decline in the productive
capacity of the land. There are various human
activities that contribute to land degradation
which include unsustainable agricultural land
use, poor soil and water management practices,
deforestation, removal of natural vegetation,
frequent use of heavy machinery, overgrazing,
improper crop rotation and poor irrigation
practices. Natural disasters, including drought,
floods and landslides also contribute to land
degradation.
In 2013, at the Eleventh Conference of Parties
to the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD), the fact that degraded
areas amount to one quarter of usable land on
earth was raised as a significant concern, and
critically the issue is particularly severe in dryland
regions. With increasing global population figures
and decreasing land availability and quality, the
need to ensure sustainability while intensifying
productivity on land already in use cannot be
overstated. This will contribute to ensuring food
security, especially of vulnerable rural communities
who are at risk because of limited livelihood options
and with a high reliance on natural resources, but
it will also combat the far reaching damage that
human activity and environmental trends are
having on land degradation all over the world.
“Global efforts to halt and reserve
land degradation are integral
to creating the future we want.
Sustainable land use is a prerequisite
for lifting billions from poverty,
enabling food and nutrition security,
and safeguarding water supplies.
It is a cornerstone of sustainable
development. The people who live in
the world’s arid lands, which occupy
more than 40 percent of our planet’s
land area, are among the poorest and
most vulnerable to hunger.”
(UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon)
DEGRADED AREAS AMOUNT TO
ONE QUARTER OF USABLE LAND
ON EARTH
NAMIBIA IS STATED TO BE THE
DRIEST COUNTRY IN SUBSAHARAN AFRICA, WITH 92% OF
ITS LAND CONSIDERED SEMIARID, ARID OR HYPER-ARID, AND
HENCE LAND DEGRADATION IS A
SERIOUS ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY
ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF
THE COUNTRY’S FOOD
REQUIREMENTS ARE PRODUCED
LOCALLY, AND THE REMAINING
TWO-THIRDS ARE IMPORTED TO
MEET THE FOOD REQUIREMENTS
Namibia is stated to be the driest country in subSaharan Africa, with 92% of its land considered
semi-arid, arid or hyper-arid, and hence land
degradation is a serious issue in the country - a
situation that is further compounded by climate
change. It is also important to note that the climatic
conditions in Namibia are highly wvariable, fragile
and unpredictable (Seely, Hines and Marsh, 1995).
In addition, 70% of the rural population are
subsistence farmers (DRFN, 2008 and Mendelsohn
et al., 2002). The subsistence farmers in centralnorthern Namibia rely on rain-fed crop and
livestock production for their livelihood. Therefore,
these changes affect them most, thus increasing
their vulnerability. Seely and Jacobson (1994) cite
that reduction in vegetation cover and subsequent
stripping of the soil following intensive grazing
can be found in all regions but in particular, in the
Erongo, Kunene and central-northern regions of
the country.
The situation in Namibia is worsened by the
fact that only about a third of the country’s
food requirements are produced locally, and
the remaining two-thirds are imported to meet
the food requirements of the nation (Cotthem,
2008). The country does not have any significant
influence on global food prices, thus in economic
terms Namibia is a ‘price taker’, which leaves the
country vulnerable to sharp price fluctuations for
cereals and food in general on the global market.
Overgrazing - Uncertainty about land reform
leading to short-term profit maximisation; low
profitability leading to overstocking; and drought
relief subsidies which encourage farmers not
to destock when the veld condition declines
(Dewdney, 1996).
Deforestation - Wood is the primary energy
source for at least 60% of Namibia’s population. In
Zambezi Region 96% of all households use wood
for fuel and 80% of all dwellings are made from
wood (Ashley and La Franchi, 1997; Mendelsohn
and Roberts, 1997). The largest contribution to
deforestation emanates from land clearing for
agriculture. Deforestation, particularly if it occurs
along rivers, impacts heavily on the healthy
functioning of wetland ecosystems and is a major
cause of soil erosion, declining water quality
and flood control (Ministry of Environment and
Tourism, 2005).
Lack of secure tenure over natural resources
- Without secure tenure there is little incentive
for communal farmers to conserve rangelands,
prevent soil erosion and limit stock numbers.
Strategies to combat
land degradation and
desertification
Human population pressure - which results in
increasing demand for natural resources (land,
wood, water, minerals).
There are several opportunities and prospects to
diminish land degradation such as: reforestation,
adopting sustainable agricultural practices;
and creating alternative livelihoods (e.g. ecotourism). It may be stated that for there to be
any visible changes there has to be an enabling
environment that has removed technical, political,
legal, cultural, social, and environmental barriers.
These complementary actions must further
be sustainably and economically viable, locally
targeted and based on economic incentives (ELD,
2013).
Poverty and over-dependence on natural
resources – poor subsistence communities
tend to overly rely on natural resources for their
livelihood especially when, in the absence of
education, technical aid, credit or employment,
they have no choice. This leads to increasing rates
of soil erosion, deforestation and overexploitation
of wild plants and animals.
At a global level, it is important to recognise
the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD), which by the start of 2001
was ratified by 172 countries marking a turning
point in international policy and demonstrating
a growing awareness of the importance assigned
to the problems of desertification (UNESCO, 2015).
The objectives of the UNCCD are to improve
Causes of land
degradation/desertification
There are various reasons that exacerbate land
degradation, and these are listed in brief below:
land productivity, to restore (or preserve) land,
to establish more efficient water usage and
to introduce sustainable development in the
affected areas and more generally, improve the
living conditions of those populations affected by
drought and desertification.
Impacts of environmental
degradation on yield and
food
According to FAO, food security “exists when all
people, at all times, have physical, social and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious
food which meets their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life”.
Household food security is the application of this
concept to the family level, with individuals within
households as the focus of concern. Where there
is no food security, this impacts greatly on the
nutrition levels of the people concerned, their
wellbeing and livelihood.
The natural environment, with all its ecosystem
services, comprises the entire basis for life on
the planet. The state of environment has effects
on food production through its role in water,
minerals, soils, climate and weather. The state
of ecosystems also influences the abundance of
pathogens, weeds, and pests all of which have a
direct bearing on the quality of available cropland,
yields and harvests.
Land degradation and conversion of cropland
for non-food production including bio-fuels and
cotton are major threats that could reduce the
available cropland by 8-20% by 2050 (UNEP). In
countries such as Namibia the combined effects
of competition of land from growing populations,
reduced opportunity for migration and rotation
along with higher livestock densities, result in
frequent overgrazing and hence loss of long term
productivity (Bai et al., 2007).
It is estimated that land degradation causes a
loss of grain worth USD1.2 billion yearly. All over
the world, there is loss of cropland area being
experienced from loss of land to other uses (such
as increasing urbanisation) and land degradation;
about 2 billion ha of the world’s agricultural land
have been degraded because of deforestation
and inappropriate agricultural practices (Pinstrup-
Andersen and Pandya-Lorch, 1998). Despite global
improvements on some parts of the land,
unsustainable land use practices result in net
losses of cropland productivity – an average of
0.2% per year.
National Approaches
The Government of Namibia formulated an EcoSystems Conservation and Protection programme
with the objective to improve conditions of food
security and nutrition by ensuring the long term
sustainable use of the environment and natural
resources and conservation of forest, wildlife and
Namibia’s fragile eco-system.
The Government of Namibia was part of the
Country Pilot Partnership Programme (CPP)
which was adopted in 2008 with support from the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
and financing from the Global Environmental
Fund (GEF). The CPP programme focused on the
development and testing of integrated sustainable
land management (SLM) practices that would help
Namibia combat its chronic land degradation,
manifested through vegetation, habitat and soil
productivity losses, particularly as the threats of
climate change are expected to bring additional
multiple challenges.
Additionally the Government of Namibia outlines
its policy direction with The Green Plan, National
Development Plan 4 and Vision 2030. Namibia’s
10-year Strategic Plan of Action for Sustainable
Development through Biodiversity Conservation,
reflecting targets such as healthy, productive
land with reduced pollution from agriculture and
industry, together with productive, diverse and
stable farmland and ecosystems which are socially,
economically and ecologically sustainable.
In spite of past national policy approaches and
programmes, it is everyone’s responsibility (from
the household level to national policy institutions)
to ensure that more concerted efforts are
directed towards alleviating land degradation;
desertification; and redressing poor agricultural
practices because food insecurity does not only
affect one individual, but it affects us all as a
nation in one way or the other - for example
through demands on the nation’s budget thereby
also affecting tax payers and other budgetary
requirements.
Glossary
References:
Land Degradation
Under the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) “land degradation” means
reduction or loss, in arid and dry sub-humid areas,
of the biological or economic productivity and
complexity of rain-fed cropland, irrigated cropland,
or range, pasture, forest and woodlands, resulting
from land uses or from a process or combination of
processes, including processes arising from human
activities and habitation patterns (www.unccd.int).
Ashley, C. and LaFranchi, C. (1997) Livelihood strategies for rural
livelihood in Caprivi: Implications for conservancies and natural resource
management, DEA Research Discussion Paper No. 20. Ministry of
Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
Overgrazing
Overgrazing can be defined as the practice of
grazing too many livestock for too long a period on
land unable to recover its vegetation, or of grazing
ruminants on land not suitable for grazing as a
result of certain physical parameters such as its
slope www.fao.org.
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia. (2008). Climate Change
Vulnerability Adaptation Assessment Namibia. Windhoek: Ministry of
Environment and Tourism.
Crop Rotation
The system of growing a sequence of different crops
on the same ground so as to maintain or increase
its fertility www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/
crop+rotation.
Desertification
A human intervention to reduce the human-induced
UNCCD defines desertification as land degradation
occurring in arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid areas
resulting from various factors, including climate
variations and human activities (www.unccd.int/).
Deforestation
Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent
loss of forest cover and implies transformation into
another land use such as areas of forest converted
to agriculture, pasture, water reservoirs and urban
areas (FAO 2001).
Land Tenure
Land tenure is the relationship, whether legally or
customarily defined, among people, as individuals
or groups, with respect to land. It defines how access
is granted to rights to use, control, and transfer land,
as well as associated responsibilities and restraints
(FAO, 2002).
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural system consisting of all
plants, animals and microorganisms (biotic factors)
in an area functioning together with all the nonliving physical (abiotic) factors of the environment
(Christopherson, 1997).
Christopherson, R. W. (1997). Geosystems: an introduction to physical
geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.
Cotthem, W. V. (2008) Namibia: Addressing Food Security and Increasing
Food Prices. Available at https://desertification.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/
namibia-addressing-food-security-and-increasing-food-prices-google-newera/
Dewdney (1996) Dewdney, R. (1996). Policy Factors and DesertificationAnalysis and Proposals. Windhoek: Namibian Programme to Combat
Desertification, Steering Committee.
Eleventh Conference of Parties. (2013). The Economics of land degradation
initiative, United Nations Convention to combat desertification, Windhoek.
Available at www.ELD-initiative.org
FAO (2001). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Main Report.
FAO (2002). Land Tenure and Rural Development, Rome: FAO.
Mendelsohn, J. and Roberts, C. (1997) An environment profile and atlas of
Caprivi, Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek.
Mendelsohn, J., Jarvis, A., and Robert., C. (2002). ‘Atlas of Namibia: A Portrait
of the land and Its People’. Cape Town: Philip Publishers.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism. (2005). Policy review on issues
pertinent to the improvement of land management and biodiversity
conservation in Namibia. Available at www.met.gov.na
Pinstrup-Andersen, P and Pandya-Lorch, R. (1998). Food security and
sustainable use of natural resources: A 2020 Vision, Ecological Economics,
Volume 26 (1), p1-10.
Seely, M. K., Hines, C. and Marsh, A. C. (1995). Effects of Human Activities
on the Namibian Environment as a Factor in Drought Susceptibility. In
Moorsom, R., Franz, J., and. Mupotola, M (eds). Coping with Aridity: Drought
Impacts and Preparedness in Namibia, Frankfurt: Brandes and Apsel.
UNEP. (1999). World resources 1998–1999, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
www.businessdictionary.com
www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/desertification
www.fao.org
www.wwf.org.au
www.unccd.int
Authors:
Emilia Chioreso and Ben Begbie-Clench
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
October, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#8
FACT SHEET ON:
Forests, Rangelands and
Climate Change in Namibia
The purpose of this factsheet is to provide an
overview of the status of issues and actions related
to the adaptation to climate change of forest,
woodlands and rangeland resources in Namibia.
Introduction
Namibia, one of the driest countries in the world,
has 20% of its surface area (16 million ha) covered
by dry forests and woodlands mainly contained
in the north eastern region of the country (UNDP/
GEF, 2014). However, the dryland forest resources
are under high pressure from agriculture and livestock production. The consequent deforestation
and degradation as a result of crop and livestock
farming is leading to loss of ecosystem goods and
services which form the livelihood support for rural communities and which support economic development, and maintain a variety of endemic and
economic plant and animal populations.
Namibia’s vulnerability to
climate change
Namibia is vulnerable to climate change for several
reasons, which are explained below:
•
•
•
Namibia receives low but highly variable
rainfall (25 - 700mm) and is characterised by
high temperatures that range from 30C to
400C (Mendelsohn, et al., 2002).
Namibia’s climate for the rest of this century
will become warmer and drier due to climate
change. Seasonal rainfall patterns will be more
erratic and Namibia will experience droughts
more frequently. Evaporation is anticipated to
rise by 5% per degree of warming (MAWF, 2012).
Agriculture is the predominant land use in
•
•
•
Namibia, and 70% of the population depends
directly or indirectly on the natural rangeland
resource for their economic well-being and
food security.
The diverse rangelands, and arable land make
up a valuable natural resource base on which
the economy of Namibia depends (Karuaihe et
al., 2007). These diverse ecosystems provide
goods and services that are valuable to both
the livelihoods of all Namibians at local as well
as national level.
Total population is expected to grow by 66%
by 2031. Such an increase in population will
exert more pressure on the land and other
resources. This will worsen the vulnerability of
many people as well as natural resources to
impacts of climate change (Kuvare et al., 2008).
Poverty, lack of income and lack of
employment opportunities greatly exacerbate
the vulnerability of households to impacts of
climate change (Dirkx et al., 2008) because these
factors influence the resilience of households
to cope with impacts of climate change.
Namibia is a world leader in the Community
Based Natural Resource Management
(CBNRM) programme that addresses both
sustainable natural resource management
and use and socio-economic development
(Long et al., 2004). The conservancy approach
has led to an increase in wildlife, generation
of income for local communities and creation
of new jobs (NACSO, 2007). For instance, in
2006, consumptive use of wildlife generated
about N$8.3 million from conservancies
in Namibia. The above indicates that the
economy of Namibia largely depends on its
natural resources. Most predicted impacts
of climate change will adversely affect
natural resources. This makes Namibia very
vulnerable to impacts of climate change.
Economic, social and
environmental functions of
forest cover
•
•
•
Forests purify the air, preserve catchments
and improve water quality and quantity. In
addition, forests stabilize soil and prevent
erosion, provide natural resources such as
timber products and medicinal plants, and are
home to many of the world’s most endangered
wildlife species.
Forests help to protect the planet from climate
change by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), a
major greenhouse gas.
In Namibia, direct use of forest resources
is largely from harvesting of fuel wood and
poles for construction of houses and fences
FUELWOOD
NON-WOOD
FOREST
PRODUCTS
•
•
•
(mostly consumed by rural households), and
consumption of other forest products for craft
production, food, medicine and cosmetics
(UNDP/GEF, 2014).
Domestic forest resources contribute indirectly
to arable farming through conservation of soil
fertility and water, which is extremely vital
given the countries low use of commercial
fertilisers and the harshness of the climate.
An additional environmental function of forest
resources is its support of biological diversity,
genetic material and their ability to sequester
(absorb) carbon.
The current genetic material stored by forest
resources and their contribution to agricultural
production and medicinal production is vital to
the economy.
FIGURE 1:
Services Provided by
Forests and Woodlands
BIODIVERSITY
CLIMATE
REGULATION
INDUSTRIAL
WOOD
WATER
PROTECTION
SOIL
PROTECTION
BIOSPHERIC
RESOURCE
SPIRITUAL
FOREST
SERVICES
ECOLOGICAL
AMENITIES
CULTURAL
SOCIAL
HEALTH
PROTECTION
HISTORICAL
SPORT,
FISHING,
HUNTING
ECOTOURISM
RECREATION
Vulnerability of forests
and forest communities to
climate change
Current trends in deforestation, degradation and
damage to ecosystem services in forests and
rangelands have been accompanied by a decline
in supply of many forest services. These impacts
are felt most acutely by rural communities living in
or near forests, who suffer a decline in livelihood
resources and well-being (Byron and Arnold, 1999).
Similar to the global trend, vulnerability of forests
in Namibia is as a result of deforestation and
desertification; frequent forest fires; changes in
forest types, species composition and distribution;
and the disappearance of medicinal plants (UNDP/
GEF, 2014). A vulnerability assessment of the
Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy done
by Munyayi et al., (2014), shows that the most
relevant threats affecting forests and specifically
community forests are mainly related to changes
of the local climate and inadequate human
management as shown in table 1 on the next page.
UNCONTROLLED
VELD FIRES
Increasing uncontrolled fires remain one
of the key threats to the ecosystem. The
constant occurrence of man-induced fires
is reducing the productive capacity of the
land, damaging property and infrastructure,
and destroying resources such as grass
for grazing and thatching as well as
valuable wood and even wildlife. The most
detrimental effects of fire are limiting the
recruitment of young trees, killing older
and larger trees and/or damaging larger
trees. This leads to a change of the forests
towards a more savannah-like vegetation
and ultimately to the complete loss of
vegetation.
Loss of trees is posing a serious threat to
habitats, carbon sinks capacities and to
hydrological and nutrient cycles. Forest
resources are harvested to meet various
household needs providing both direct
and indirect values to rural communities.
Loss of forest resources within the Okongo
Ecosystem Complex is largely driven
by unsustainable harvesting of forest
resources for the construction of houses,
fences for agricultural fields and kraals.
In addition, the key contributing factors, which are
driving vulnerabilities in the Okongo Ecosystem
Complex, are not related to the ecosystem directly
but rather are related to governance systems,
poverty and poor targeting of knowledge and
awareness raising interventions.
Impacts of Climate Change
in Namibia
In Namibia, some of the expected impacts include
livestock losses, reduced grain/ crop production
and yields and severe water scarcity due to
droughts and increased temperatures. Projections
show that rangeland degradation will negatively
influence the livelihoods of a large portion of the
Namibian nation and will result in a downward
trend in the ability of farmers to produce food
(MAWF, 2013).
Degradation of rangelands in the country are
attributed to poor rangeland management
practices. This includes too many people and
livestock in one place for too long, land clearing
for crop farming and in many cases the application
of
inappropriate
cultivation
techniques;
inappropriate provision of artificial water points
and poor range management associated with
them; and overexploitation linked to insecure land
tenure arrangements.
Climate change adaptation
measures for forest and
woodland management
Without adaptation, further climate change
combined with factors such as deforestation, forest
and rangeland degradation, habitat fragmentation,
poor forest and rangeland management and
extreme weather events threaten plants and
animals. Healthy forests and rangelands are critical
both to mitigating climate change and helping
people and communities adjust to the impacts of
climate change.
Table 2 presents forest and woodland
management options that promote resilience,
reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptation.
TABLE 2:
Climate Change Adaptation Measures
TOPIC
ADAPTATION MEASURES
I. Food security
and sustainable
resource base
Reassess the location of
conservation areas and seed
banks; breed pest-resistant
genotypes; determine the
adaptability of genotypes and
their responses to climate change
II. Forest
protection
Manage forest fire and pests
to reduce disturbance; restore
destroyed forest; protect trees
from disease
III. Forest
regeneration
Use drought-tolerant genotypes;
use artificial regeneration; control
invasive species
IV. Silvicultural
management
Selectively remove poorly
adapted trees; adjust rotation
periods; manage forest density;
adjust species composition and
forest structure
V. Non-wood
resources
Minimize habitat fragmentation;
conserve wildlife; maintain
primary forests and the diversity
of functional groups
VI. Park and
wilderness area
management
Conserve biodiversity; maintain
connectivity between protected
areas; employ adaptive
management
Source: Kleine, Buck and Eastaugh, 2010, adapted from Spittlehouse and
Stewart, 2003 and Kalame et al., 2009
OVERGRAZING
The carrying capacity of the land for livestock
has been exceeded. Grazing in the open
common areas, where years of overgrazing
have led to poor pastures, indigenous
perennial and climax grasses have long
disappeared from these open areas. Grass
species richness and evenness in the
degraded lands has decreased over time
with a few undesired species dominating in
the rangelands.
LOSS OF TREES
TABLE 1:
Key threats to the Okongo Community Forest
Conclusion
As weather patterns become more
unpredictable and extreme, the role of
forest, woodland and rangeland ecosystems
in regulating watershed quality and quantity,
rainfall, erosion and other services will
be increasingly important for sustaining
agriculture,
energy
production,
and
drinkable water supplies. Thus the urgent
call for conservation of these resources, not
just for today but also for Namibia’s future
generations.
Glossary
Climate Change
Long-term changes to global climate such as
increases in temperature, rainfall and increased
frequency of drought and flooding due to significant
departure of the earth’s climate from average
weather conditions.
Food security
A situation that exists when all people, at all times,
have physical, social and economic access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life (FAO. 2002).
Rangeland
Land on which the indigenous vegetation is
predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or
shrubs and is managed as a natural ecosystem.
Woodland
The type of land cover characterized by trees and
shrubs.
Forest
Ecosystems that are dominated by trees (defined
as perennial woody plants taller than 5 metres at
maturity), where the tree crown cover exceeds 10%
and the area is larger than 0.5 hectares (FAO 2000,
2001a, 2001b).
References:
Byron, R.N. and J.E.M. Arnold, (1999) What futures for the people of the
tropical forests? World Development, 27 (5), 789–805.
FAO, (2001a). Forest Resources Assessment homepage. Available on the
Internet www.fao.org/forestry/fo/fra/index/jsp.
FAO, (2001b). Global Forest Resources Assessment. (2000) Main Report.
FAO Forestry Paper 140, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, Rome, 482 pp.
Karuaihe, S., Mfune, J.K., Kakujaha-Matundu O. and E. Naimwhaka (2007).
MDG7 and Climate Change: challenges and opportunities: Namibia Country
study. Prepared for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Kuvare, U., Maharero, T., and Kamupingene, G. (2008) Research on Farming
systems Change to enable adaptation to Climate change. Prepared for the
Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Mendelsohn, J. and el Obeid, S. (2005) Forests and Woodlands of Namibia.
Directorate of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry,
Windhoek, Namibia.
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. (2011) A Forest Research
Strategy for Namibia (2011–2015). Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry, Windhoek, Namibia
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF). (2012) National
Rangeland Management Policy (Part I) & Strategy (Part II): Restoring
Namibia’s Rangelands June 2012, Windhoek: MAWF
Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). (2011a) ‘National Policy on
Climate Change for Namibia 2011’, Windhoek: MET.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). (2011b) Namibia Second
National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, July 2011, Windhoek: MET.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). (2012) Draft Climate Change
Strategy and Action Plan for Namibia, Windhoek: MET.
Mfune, J.K. and Ndombo, B. (2005) An Assessment of the capacity and
needs required to implement Article 6 of the United Nations Framework
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Namibia. Prepared for The Ministry of
Environment and Tourism, Government of Namibia
Munyayi, R. Kinyaga, V. Lubinda, M. Mutota, E. Faschina, N. Tischtau, C. and
Schick, A. (2014) Strategic analysis of risks and vulnerability by applying
the MARISCO method on Okongo Conservancy and Community Forest
& Omufituwekuta Community Forest, Namibia. Prepared for Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
Spittlehouse, D.L. & Stewart, R.B. (2003) Adaptation to climate change in
forest management. Journal of Ecosystems and Management, 4(1): 1–11.
UNDP/GEF. (2014) Sustainable Management of Namibia’s Forested Lands
(NAFOLA), Windhoek
Authors:
Rennie Munyayi
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
October, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#9
FACT SHEET ON:
Renewable Energy
SHIFTING ENERGY SYSTEMS IN NAMIBIA TOWARDS
A MORE SUSTAINABLE PATH
selected sustainable energy systems in Namibia.
Introduction
The coal, oil, and natural gas that power the
majority of electricity generation produce
more than one-third of global greenhouse gas
emissions. More than 1.3 billion people worldwide
still lack access to the electricity they need to
raise their standard of living, and experts predict
that climate change will worsen the situation. In
Namibia, most of the energy is consumed in the
transport sector and most of the Carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions produced by Namibia’s energy
sector comes from transportation. The second
largest CO2 emission source is fishing, followed
by industry, electricity generation and others.
According to energy statistics the total CO2
emissions from Namibia’s energy use were 2800
ktCO2 in 2011 (Rämä et al., 2013). The amount of
CO2 emissions from the energy sector has been
increasing by approximately 4 % per year, on a
world scale.
According to the Regional power status of Africa
2010 report, Namibia generates about 1,305
GWh, while it consumes more than 3000 GWh
per annum. Namibia imports power from South
Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to
cover the supply gap of electricity between what
is generated locally and what is required for the
country’s economic activities. (National Planning
Commission, 2013).
SOMETHING TO REFLECT ON …
MAJOR SOURCES OF
COMMERCIAL ENERGY
IN NAMIBIA ARE:
OF ENERGY USED IN
NAMIBIA IS IMPORTED
AND
OF ELECTRICITY IS
IMPORTED IN 2009.
OF THE POPULATION HAD
ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY IN 2009.
Source: VO Consulting, 2012
The purpose of this Factsheet is to showcase
FIGURE 1:
Electricity supply in Namibia between 2000 to 2011 in GWh
(Source: Rämä et al., 2013)
Renewable Power
Production
Clean Energy Sources in
Namibia
Renewable power production will play a significant
role in energy systems in years to come. The shift to
clean energy offers an opportunity to prevent the
worst impacts of climate change, while lessening
the toll that fossil fuels have on communities and
vital ecosystems.
Measures to develop clean energy in Namibia,
which reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while
also stimulating innovation and promoting growth
and jobs, include the following:
Namibia is well placed to lead the clean energy
development pathway. The country is endowed
with natural resources required for (renewable)
energy supplies from the sun, wind and biomass
from invader bush. These renewable energy
resources provide the country with a comparative
advantage in terms of supporting clean energy
and socio-economic development. The current
productive use of these resources is limited, but
there is a growing pool of knowledgethat has been
developed since Independence in 1990 to inform
scaling-up the use of renewable energy and energy
efficient technologies.
Ruacana is a hydroelectric power station on the
Kunene River, which has a generation capacity of
332 MW. It is a run-of-river power station, meaning
that its ability to generate electricity remains
dependent on continuous water flows from Angola.
In the absence of sufficient water flow, Ruacana
cannot generate and feed electrical energy
into Namibia’s national electricity grid. Plans
are underway to develop the 600MW Baynes
hydropower plant of which 300 MW will be for
Namibia, and the 100MW Orange River project
Hydropower
(Rämä et al., 2013).
FIGURE 2:
Ruacana hydropower station
To date, the country has about 30,000 wind water
pumps installed throughout the country – ranking
second on the African continent. There is currently
one wind turbine (220 kW) installed which feeds
the electricity distribution grid in Erongo Region.
Other areas with excellent wind energy potential
are the Lüderitz and Hantiesbay areas.
Even though there is potential for wind energy
growth in Namibia, there is still the concern of
wind fluctuations, which may disrupt electricity
generation. Thus, further research and investment
is required to ensure efficient generation of wind
energy in the country.
FIGURE 3:
220 kW Wind Energy turbine at Walvis Bay
Wind Energy
Wind turbines transform the wind’s kinetic energy
into electrical energy. Namibia has very favourable
wind conditions with long coastlines measuring
1,572 km. Wind energy in the country is sufficient
to be harvested and put to good use, however in
Namibia the wind energy industry has not been
fully developed.
Solar Energy
Namibia has one of the best solar regimes in the
world with an average high direct insolation of
2,200 kWh/m2/a and minimal cloud cover. The
southern parts of the country easily experience
up to 11 hours of sunshine per day and recorded
direct solar radiation of 3,000 kWh/m2/year (IET
1999; cited by Willemse 2004). Solar water heaters,
solar photovoltaic technologies, and concentrated
solar power plants can contribute to reduce the
country’s electricity supply gap.
FIGURE 4:
An aerial view of the Omburu solar power plant and the Omburu sub station.
NAMIBIA’S FIRST INDEPENDENT POWER
PRODUCER (IPP)
In May 2015, a 4.5 MWp Photovoltaic solar
power plant was inaugurated in Omaruru.
The ‘Omburu solar power plant’, owned by
Franco-Namibian company InnoSun, is the
country’s first local Independent Power
Producer (IPP). It is projected to generate
about 13 500 000 kWh of electricity per
year, which represents 1% of the electricity
generation in Namibia, and caters for the
basic domestic consumption of 20 000
Namibian households (NamPower, 2015).
FIGURE 5:
Solar PV array of Namibia’s largest solar-diesel hybrid
system at Tsumkwe
One of the major solar PV applications in Namibia
is solar water pumping (PVP) that takes place on
cattle farms. Solar PV is also used for rural access
to modern energy.
It consists of a small system equipped with an
inverter and a storage system (batteries) that
provide enough electricity for lighting, radio, TV
or fans. Households with substantial electricity
consumption can utilise larger solar home systems.
Bush-to-electricity
Significant areas in northern Namibia are infested
by invader bush (de Klerk, 2004). Thorny bush
and shrub species grow in such abundance that
they have a significant effect on the growth of
grasses and less prevalent species of bushes
and shrubs (Bester, 1998). Such vegetation also
dramatically reduces the essential recharge of
underground water resources. However, the
bush encroachment problem creates possibilities
POWER
CONSUMPTION OF
SOME ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES
LCD TV:
30 - 300 W
FIGURE 6:
Bush to electricity demonstration plant
for larger scale bioenergy production in Namibia
(NEI, unpublished). Power plants fuelled by
biomass from invader bush would have electricity
generation characteristics similar to traditional
coal-fired power plants (VO Consulting, 2012).
The Desert Research Foundation of Namibia piloted
the use of invader bush for larger scale energy
production, with support from the Europe Union,
in a project titled ‘Combating Bush Encroachment
for Namibia’s Development’ (CBEND). The project
installed the first bush to electricity demonstration
plant (250 kW). The technology uses wood
gasification and is fuelled by a variety of encroacher
bush species.
Conclusion
The renewable energy sector in Namibia is in a
critical development stage. Currently the focus
is mostly on eliminating barriers to making the
usage of renewable energy technologies more
universal in everyday life. In order to successfully
shift Namibia’s energy systems to a sustainable
development path, more investment should be
made in the renewable energy sector in order
to improve the economic viability of renewable
energy technologies.
DESKTOP PC:
300 - 400 W
LAPTOP:
40 - 60 W
REFRIGERATOR:
150 - 300 W
MICROWAVE:
150 - 300 W
AIR CONDITIONER:
1 - 2 KW
Simplified definitions and
conversion units
•
•
•
•
•
Watt is the unit of power (symbol: W).
One watt is defined as the energy
consumption rate of one joule per
second.
The kilowatt hour (symbol kWh, kW·h, or
kW h) is a unit of energy equal to 1,000
watt-hours, or 3.6 megajoules.
An electric heater rated at 1000 watts (1
kilowatt), operating for one hour uses
one kilowatt-hour (equivalent to 3.6
megajoules) of energy.
A television rated at 100 watts operating
for 10 hours continuously uses one
kilowatt-hour. A 40-watt light bulb
operating continuously for 25 hours uses
one kilowatt-hour.
References:
Bester. B, 1998. Major Problem – Bush Species and Densities in
Namibia. Agricola 10: 1-3, 1998.
Colin, Christian and Associates, 2010. The Effect of Bush
Encroachment on Groundwater Resources in Namibia: A Desk Top
Study. Namibia Agricultural Union.
Deutsche Energie ConsultIng enieurs gesellschaft mbH,1999.
Project Studies for Wind Parks in Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, Project
No 97.2119.4-001.02, Terna Namibia, VN 81015042, Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
Konrad et al, 2013. Namibia’s Energy future. A Case for
Renewables.
de Klerk, 2004. Bush Encroachment in Namibia. Ministry of
Environment and
Tourism, Windhoek, Namibia
National Planning Commission, 2013. Energy Demand and
Forecasting in Namibia - Energy for Economic Development
Available at:
http://www.npc.gov.na/?wpfb_dl=229 Accessed 15 September
2015.
M. et al., 2013. Development of Namibian energy sector
Available at:
http://www.vtt.fi/inf/julkaisut/muut/2013/vtt-r-07599-13.pdf
Accessed 15 September 2015
Glossary:
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy from a source that is not
depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is a way of managing and
restraining the growth in energy consumption.
Biomass
Biomass is biological material derived from living, or
recently living organisms. In the context of biomass
for energy this is often used to mean plant based
material, but biomass can equally apply to both
animal and vegetable derived material.
Solar photovoltaic technology
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells by
scientists, convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Concentrated solar power
Concentrated solar power systems electricity by
using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area
of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small
area. Electricity is generated when the concentrated
light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine
(usually a steam turbine) connected to an electrical
power generator or powers a thermochemical
reaction.
Nampower, 2015. WattsOn NamPower Newsletter, Edition 1
Available at: http://www.nampower.com.na/public/docs/Wattson/
Watts%20On%20Edition%201%202015.pdf Accessed on 31 August
2015
Le Fol, Yoann, 2012. Renewable Energy Transition for a
Sustainable Future in Namibia
Available at: http://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/files/63642504/
Master_Thesis_Yoann_Le_Fol.pdf Accessed 2 September 2015.
Jerome Kisting. J. 2008. Opportunities in the Renewable Energy
Sector in Namibia
REEP, 2014. Accessed 1 September 2015.
http://www.reeep.org/namibia-2014
Abraham. T, 2014. Accessed 1 September 2015.
https://www.newera.com.na/2014/08/07/wind-power-project-getsfresh-impetus/
VO Consulting, 2012. Namibia’s energy future a case for
renewables
Available at:
http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_34264-1522-2-30.
pdf?130503123609 Accessed 31 August 2015
Author:
Rennie Munyayi
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
Co-authors:
Dr. Zivayi Chiguvare and Helvi Ileka; Centre for Renewable Energy
and Energy Efficiency, Polytechnic of Namibia
September, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na
#10
FACT SHEET ON:
Conserving Energy
PRACTICAL OPTIONS FOR CONSERVING ENERGY AT HOME
The purpose of this fact sheet is to share a few
practical tips on how to save and conserve electricity
in our homes.
is extremely important for industrial development
in Namibia hence the need for all of us to play our
role in conserving it.
Introduction
SOME SOURCES OF ENERGY
Most of us are familiar with the word “energy’. We
often say that someone has a lot of energy. But
what is energy and how do we all depend on it?
Energy is responsible for the growth of food and for
providing warmth and light. It keeps people alive,
it transports them, provides fuel for their engines
and electricity in their homes. Energy is what keeps
economies of the worlds running (DRFN, 1992).
SOLAR - Sunlight provides us with most of
the energy on the planet.
WIND - Wind provides energy to turn
windmills (to pump water) and turbines
(to generate electricity). Today, people are
realising that wind power is one of the most
Primary energy sources take many forms, including
nuclear energy, fossil energy (e.g. oil, coal and
natural gas) and renewable sources such as wind,
solar and hydropower. These primary sources are
converted into electricity, which flows through
power lines and other transmission infrastructure
to the end user.
In Namibia, energy is a composition of liquid fuels,
electricity, geothermal energy, gas, coal, solar
water heaters and cookers, charcoal and wood
(Republic of Namibia, 2013). The most dominant
energy sector in Namibia is the liquid fuel, which
includes petrol and diesel. It accounts for about
63% of total energy net consumption, followed by
electricity with 17% net consumption, followed by
coal with 5%. The remaining 15% is from other types
of energy such as solar, wood, wind energy among
others (Energy White Policy Paper, 1998). Namibia
only has 3 major power generation stations, with
an installed capacity of about 500 MW.
The potential for social and economic development
in Namibia depends on the country’s ability to
generate adequate energy (DRFN, 1992). Electricity
promising energy sources that can serve
as an alternative to fossil fuel-generated
electricity.
ELECTRICITY - It is a secondary source
of energy because it is generated by the
conversion of a primary source.
NUCLEAR - Nuclear power is the use of
sustained nuclear fission to generate heat
and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide
about 6% of the world's energy and 13 to
14% of the world's electricity (US Department
of Energy, 2015).
I
n
FOSSIL - These are non-renewable resources
that formed when prehistoric plants and
animals died and were gradually buried
by layers of rock. Over millions of years,
different types of fossil fuels formed,
depending on what combination of organic
matter was present, how long it was buried
and
what
temperature
and
conditions existed as time passed.
pressure
Namibia, energy is a composition of liquid fuels,
electricity, geothermal energy, gas, coal, solar
water heaters and cookers, charcoal and wood
(Republic of Namibia, 2013). The most dominant
energy sector in Namibia is the liquid fuel, which
includes petrol and diesel. It accounts for about
63% of total energy net consumption, followed by
electricity with 17% net consumption, followed by
coal with 5%. The remaining 15% is from other types
of energy such as solar, wood, wind energy among
others (Energy White Policy Paper, 1998). Namibia
only has 3 major power generation stations, with
an installed capacity of about 500 MW.
The potential for social and economic development
in Namibia depends on the country’s ability to
generate adequate energy (DRFN, 1992). Electricity
is extremely important for industrial development
in Namibia hence the need for all of us to play our
role in conserving it.
•
Use solar energy
•
•
•
Electricity Saving Tips
•
Florescent lamps last 8 to 10 times longer than
ordinary bulbs and provide 4 to 5 times the
amount of light. LED lights are also becoming
very popular.
Switch Off
•
•
•
Turn the lights off when you leave a room.
Never leave your personal computer on when
not in use as it burns a large amount of energy.
Turn your television off at the wall when not in
use. A television on standby is still using 80%
of its power.
Use natural heat
•
In summer, use light coloured curtains to
reflect the sun and heat outward and use dark
Solar water heating can reduce household
electricity by about 40-50%.
Solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels generate
electricity from sunlight. Although a whole
house system may be a once-off expensive
option, small panels can be used efficiently to
power certain appliances in the house.
You can bake, boil and steam your family meals
using the sun’s energy. The outdoor Sun Oven
can cook food at temperatures over 200OC
and can be used during all seasons.
Be energy savvy with your
refrigerator by:
Opt for florescent bulbs/low
energy light bulbs
•
coloured curtains in winter to trap heat inside.
In winter close your curtains when it starts
getting dark to reduce the mount of heat
escaping through the windows.
•
•
•
•
•
Do not open the fridge door unnecessarily
and make sure the seal around the door is
intact. Close the door on a piece of paper, if
you can pull the paper easily, the seal should
be replaced
A refrigerator operates at peak efficiency when
filled to capacity, but be sure to leave spaces
and gaps between items in order to allow old
air to circulate freely
When you upgrade or purchase a new fridge
or freezer, make sure it is an energy efficient
model. An A++ rating denotes the best energy
efficiency.
If it is practical, place your fridge away from
your cooker and make sure it isn’t in direct
sunlight - it will operate more efficiently if it’s
in a cool spot.
Keep your fridge at between 3 and 5°C and
your freezer at -18 °C. Maintaining these
temperatures consistently will keep your food
cool and you energy bills down.
Only one tenth of a freezer’s capacity should
be used for freezing fresh food at any one time,
therefore add a new load of fresh food only
after the previous load is completely frozen.
•
Keep the freezer as full as possible to prevent
heavy icing and never allow frost build-up to
exceed 0.6 to 1.3cm in thickness
Be energy savvy with your
cooker(stove) by:
•
Be energy savvy with your water
geyser by:
•
•
•
•
Install a hot water system as close as possible
to the points of most frequent use, usually
the kitchen or bathroom, and insulate the hot
water pipe properly.
Wrap up your geyser. Fitting insulation around
your geyser is one of the cheapest and easiest
ways to improve your energy efficiency.
Set your thermostat at 60OC as your water
does not need to be boiling.
•
•
•
Use pots and pans with flat bottoms and tight
fitting lids and be sure that they completely
cover the stove plates.
Where possible, cover up your pots and pans.
This will help your food to cook more quickly
and generates a higher temperature allowing
you to turn down the stove.
Only use as much water as you need in a pot.
Every extra drop requires more energy to heat
and will increase the cooking time.
Do not open the oven door often to check your
food. Each time you open the door the oven
temperature drops by 25 degrees. Watch the
clock or use a timer instead.
Occasionally check the seal on your oven door
for cracks or tears. Even a small tear or gap can
allow heat to escape. In addition, a clean seal
will retain heat more effectively.
Glossary:
References:
Biogas
A gas produced by the fermentation of animal and
human dung and crop residues.
Alternative energy. Alternative energy like the wind. (2015).
Available at
http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/wind/ Retrieved on 21
September 2015
Biomass
Biomass is biological material derived from living, or
recently living organisms. In the context of biomass
for energy this is often used to mean plant based
material, but biomass can equally apply to both
animal and vegetable derived material.
Biomass Fuel
Any substance which forms part of a living organism
or is produced by a living organism, that can provide
heat and light by burning.
Convert
To change from one thing or state to another.
Efficiency
A measure of how much energy applied to a device
is converted into useful work.
DRFN .(1992). Burning the candle at both ends. Energy and the
Namibian environment
Republic of Namibia - Ministry of Mines and Energy, (1998). Energy
White Policy Paper.
Republic of Namibia – National Planning Commission. (2013).
Energy Demand and Forecasting in Namibia. Energy for economic
Development
Namibia Ministry of Mines and Energy. (2010). Rural electrification
in Namibia – Bringing electricity to rural communities An
information brochure
United states Department of Energy. Energy sources. (2015).
Available at
http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources Retrieved on
19 September 2015
Electricity
A type of energy. A type of electric current for
lighting, heating etc.
Energy
The capacity to do work.
Insulator
A substance which does not efficiently conduct heat
or an electric current.
Organism
Anything that is living.
Renewable Source
A natural resource that, through careful
management, will replace itself as fast as it is used.
The term is also used to describe energy sources
that will never run out like wind, and solar.
Author:
Greater Mukumbira
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
October, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:
Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia, House of Democracy,
70-72 Dr Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek West
P.O. Box 90912, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 (0) 61 237373 Fax: +264 (0) 61 232142 Email: [email protected]
www.enviro-awareness.org.na