‘Boost biodiversity’

EFFORTS aimed at protecting biodiversity in Namibia will lead to sustainable game farming and sustainable forestry, says a biodiversity expert with Integrated Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN).

Dr Juliane Zeidler made these remarks at a recent International Biodiversity Day celebration under the theme ‘Biodiversity: Life Insurance for our Changing World’ in Windhoek. She said this would also bring about sustainable land and water management, as well as sustainable inland fisheries and aquaculture.Zeidler said the main threats to biodiversity in Namibia were land degradation and desertification.Others were overfishing and overgrazing.Although the effects of global climate change would not be felt in Namibia within the next five years, she said it was another threat to biodiversity.Birga Ndombo, an environmental scientist with IECN, said Namibia had come up with several tools to combat threats to biodiversity.These include the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the Community-based Natural Resources Management programme and the strengthening of Namibia’s Protected Areas Network.Namibia is a signatory to the UN Convention on Biodiversity and other UN environmental agreements, such as the UN Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.She said this would also bring about sustainable land and water management, as well as sustainable inland fisheries and aquaculture.Zeidler said the main threats to biodiversity in Namibia were land degradation and desertification.Others were overfishing and overgrazing.Although the effects of global climate change would not be felt in Namibia within the next five years, she said it was another threat to biodiversity.Birga Ndombo, an environmental scientist with IECN, said Namibia had come up with several tools to combat threats to biodiversity.These include the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the Community-based Natural Resources Management programme and the strengthening of Namibia’s Protected Areas Network.Namibia is a signatory to the UN Convention on Biodiversity and other UN environmental agreements, such as the UN Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.