All citizens must reap benefits from parks, says MET official

A SENIOR Ministry of Environment and Tourism official says Namibia’s national parks belong to all Namibians and should benefit every citizen.

Addressing a workshop in the capital on Monday, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Malan Lindeque, said Namibian national parks faced the threat of under-investment and various forms of encroachment. Lindeque said the MET had faced many problems related to national parks.He added that it was time for those responsible for the parks to take a systematic look at them and help save these protected areas.The workshop focused on strengthening Namibia’s national protected areas.The MET recently secured a Project Development Facility B Grant from the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) to assist in the preparation of a Project Document for Strengthening the System of National Protected Areas (PAs).The project aims to strengthen Namibia’s capacity to manage protected areas as a cornerstone of the nation’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of biodiversity in the country.The project will particularly look at improving policy and legal framework, institutional capacity and mechanisms concerning protected area management.Priority parks are the Namib-Naukluft, Etosha National Park, Bwabata National Park, Ais-Ais/Ritchersveld and the Sperrgebiet, which was recently proclaimed a national park.Namibia possesses about 21 national parks, covering about 13,8 per cent of the country’s surface.Lindeque said the MET had faced many problems related to national parks.He added that it was time for those responsible for the parks to take a systematic look at them and help save these protected areas.The workshop focused on strengthening Namibia’s national protected areas.The MET recently secured a Project Development Facility B Grant from the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) to assist in the preparation of a Project Document for Strengthening the System of National Protected Areas (PAs).The project aims to strengthen Namibia’s capacity to manage protected areas as a cornerstone of the nation’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of biodiversity in the country.The project will particularly look at improving policy and legal framework, institutional capacity and mechanisms concerning protected area management.Priority parks are the Namib-Naukluft, Etosha National Park, Bwabata National Park, Ais-Ais/Ritchersveld and the Sperrgebiet, which was recently proclaimed a national park.Namibia possesses about 21 national parks, covering about 13,8 per cent of the country’s surface.