Climate change a threat to Nam’s coastal ecosystem

CLIMATE change could result in a significant reduction in the productivity of the marine ecosystem off the Namibian coast.

The commemoration of World Environment Day in Windhoek on Saturday morning under the United Nations theme – ‘Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive?’, largely highlighted the effects climate change could have on the ecosystem as coastal upwelling is reduced. The reduction in fish stock size and distribution is probably the most worrying effect climate change could have on the Namibian coast.Under Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Maria Kapere, said Namibia had to focus on mitigating actions such as the constant monitoring of changes in the environment for the successful management and sustainability of the marine system.”The effect of such changes on the established fisheries are likely to be disastrous.Strict conservation policies for all species at risk of irreversible declined will been to be in place, for example our pelagic fish stock,” she said.The Ministry of Environment and Tourism plans to launch a major climate change report today which will detail the country’s situation on greenhouse gas emissions, its vulnerability to climate change as well as the adaptation and mitigation policies and measures it plans or proposes to put in place to address its vulnerability.Namibia has already presented the document to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which it is mandated to do as a signatory to the convention.Kapere reminded Namibians that the country had a highly productive wetlands ecosystem including the Orange and Kunene River mouths, Sandwich Harbour and surrounds of Walvis Bay including the lagoon, Pelican Point and occasionally the flooded areas of the Kuiseb Delta, but said these were under threat from human population growth and the increase in development.Delivering United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan’s message on World Environment Day, UN Representative in Namibia Jacqui Badcock said the world’s seas and oceans were increasingly threatened by waste water, air-borne pollution, industrial effluent and silt from inadequately managed watersheds.According to the UN, marine litter is killing up to a million sea birds and 100 000 sea mammals and turtles each year.With more than 40 per cent of the human population already living within 60 kilometres of a coast, these problems are likely to increase.With the growing intensity of commercial fishing operations nearly three-quarters of world fish stocks are being harvested faster than they can reproduce.At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, two years ago, governments pledged to end unsustainable fishing practices, restore depleted fish stocks, establish a regular global assessment of the marine environment and create a representative network of marine protected areas.The last goal is viewed as particularly important to achieve by 2012 considering that less than half a percent of marine habitats are protected compared with 11,5 per cent of global land area.The reduction in fish stock size and distribution is probably the most worrying effect climate change could have on the Namibian coast.Under Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Maria Kapere, said Namibia had to focus on mitigating actions such as the constant monitoring of changes in the environment for the successful management and sustainability of the marine system.”The effect of such changes on the established fisheries are likely to be disastrous.Strict conservation policies for all species at risk of irreversible declined will been to be in place, for example our pelagic fish stock,” she said.The Ministry of Environment and Tourism plans to launch a major climate change report today which will detail the country’s situation on greenhouse gas emissions, its vulnerability to climate change as well as the adaptation and mitigation policies and measures it plans or proposes to put in place to address its vulnerability.Namibia has already presented the document to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which it is mandated to do as a signatory to the convention.Kapere reminded Namibians that the country had a highly productive wetlands ecosystem including the Orange and Kunene River mouths, Sandwich Harbour and surrounds of Walvis Bay including the lagoon, Pelican Point and occasionally the flooded areas of the Kuiseb Delta, but said these were under threat from human population growth and the increase in development.Delivering United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan’s message on World Environment Day, UN Representative in Namibia Jacqui Badcock said the world’s seas and oceans were increasingly threatened by waste water, air-borne pollution, industrial effluent and silt from inadequately managed watersheds.According to the UN, marine litter is killing up to a million sea birds and 100 000 sea mammals and turtles each year.With more than 40 per cent of the human population already living within 60 kilometres of a coast, these problems are likely to increase.With the growing intensity of commercial fishing operations nearly three-quarters of world fish stocks are being harvested faster than they can reproduce.At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, two years ago, governments pledged to end unsustainable fishing practices, restore depleted fish stocks, establish a regular global assessment of the marine environment and create a representative network of marine protected areas.The last goal is viewed as particularly important to achieve by 2012 considering that less than half a percent of marine habitats are protected compared with 11,5 per cent of global land area.