City works on enviro policy

THE City of Windhoek says it is concerned about the impact the city’s continuous expansion may be having on the survival of plant and animal life within its boundaries.

The municipality recently appointed the environmental consultancy agency Enviro Dynamic to help it document and compile a catalogue of the various species of animal and plant life found in Windhoek and its surroundings, and is looking for assistance from members of the public who have special knowledge of fauna and flora.’The hills and valleys of Windhoek are home to many crawling, walking and flying species, and along with an array of flora, these add to the unique ambience of the city. Even though some of these species are less obvious for all to see, they do hold ecological value,’ the municipality said in a statement.’However, these natural gems have fallen under threat due to the expansion of the city. What further endangers this fragile ecosystem is the lack of documented information on Windhoek’s biodiversity, which limits conservation efforts.’The Enviro Dynamic study is expected to help in identifying the volume of various species in a particular area.’In addition, key environmental issues and land uses that pose a threat to the quality of Windhoek’s biodiversity and its ecological integrity will be identified. Based on this information, recommendations will be made that can feed into a conservation strategy,’ the City said.An initial meeting was held between City officials and scientists last month, where it was decided to first compare all available information currently available on Windhoek’s biodiversity, using this as a baseline for the final study.The City has asked anyone with information on any particular species found in and around Windhoek to contact Carla at carla@envirod.com.