Namibia Energy & Environment: 2010 and beyond

Climate Capacity Development: Capacity Enhancement for Global Environmental Management (CEGEM)

National Implementing Partner: Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Directorate of Environmental Affairs +264 61 284 2751 2009 -2011

Key Issues: UNCBD

Project Status: Completed

Location: Namibia, Windhoek

Contact person: Teofilus Nghitika, National Project Director

Goals and objectives

The overall objective of the project is to integrate the global environmental objectives in national development programmes and projects. The expected result is improved environmental management of development activities in a variety of sectors that specifically addresses climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. This goal is consistent with the findings and direction provided by the NCSA Report and Action Plan.

Description / Background

In March 2005, Namibia completed the first phase of its National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental Management Process. The Government of Namibia and a wide range of stakeholders involved in the NCSA has identified the priority need to mainstream environmental management issues into national development programmes and address the Rio Convention provisions in an integrated manner. In Namibia, implementation of the Rio Conventions on biodiversity, climate change and land degradation occurs in the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction. The NCSA report provides a detailed action plan for addressing the priorities associated with global and national environmental management.

To address some of the major constraints in the implementations of the Rio Conventions, the proposed project approach is strategically geared towards four directions:1) to strengthen the technical skills and knowledge of key Government and non-governmental organizations involved in environmental management, to implement the global environmental objectives; 2) to improve awareness on the global environmental Conventions provisions and synergies and on cross-cutting Conventions issues such as: environmental assessment and traditional knowledge innovations and practices related to environmental management- process in support of the new legislation, the Environmental Management and Assessment Act (EMAA) and the Access to Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Bill; 3) to develop the mainstreaming mechanism, by creating partnerships and agreements between the institutions involved in development planning and the MET , thus ensuring the mainstreaming of the environmental issues in the national and regional planning; 4) and to ensure sustainability by institutionalizing the implementation process of the NCSA national objectives.

Table 1: Project Outcomes

Table 2: Project Budget

Selected Partners

• Government Ministries: Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), National Planning Commission (NPC) and Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (MLR),
• Non-Governmental organization: Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN), Gobabeb Training and Research Centre (GTRC), Integrated Rural Development and Nature conservation (IRDNC) and Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF)

Funding is provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) www.thegef.org/gef/gef_country_prg/NA

Contact Details:

C/O The National Project Director: Director of Environmental Affairs

Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)

Directorate of Environmental Affairs

Private Bag 13306

Tel. +264 61 284 2751

Website: www.met.gov.na

C/O The Head of Energy and Environment Programme United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Energy & Environment Unit

Private Bag 13329, Klein Windhoek

Tel. + 264 61 204 6111 /6231

Website:www.undp.un.na