The deputy minister of environment, forestry and tourism says law and policy should guide the use and management of natural resources in Namibia.
Anselm Marungu made these remarks at the official launch of the fifth edition of the fully-revised ‘Environment Law and Policy in Namibia’, held in Windhoek last week.
Marungu said the way Namibia manages its water, land and biodiversity and how it addresses climate change is a question of policy and governance law.
“Law and policy must remain responsive to address current and emerging environmental challenges, and provide the basis for implementation,” said Marungu.
He added that Namibia has integrated a number of multi-lateral environmental agreements into national laws and the book provides an opportunity to see where the country stands in implementing the provisions of these agreements.
The book, published with funding from the Hanns Seidel Foundation, GIZ and the German embassy in Namibia, contains 33 chapters on different topics ranging from environmental justice and litigation, trade, environment and sustainable development to human rights, environmental protection and the rise of the rights of nature.
The book is edited by Oliver Ruppel, who is the director of development and the rule of law at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and author Katharina Ruppel-Schlichting.
Ruppel says Namibia has a pristine environment, where some people benefit from it while some do not.
Therefore, he adds, the country has put in place a number of legal frameworks pertaining to the protection of water, wildlife, fisheries, land ownership, soil protection, forest protection as well as measures to address climate change.
The book launch was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Shaping the Future of Environmental Governance: Challenges and Opportunities’.
The panel discussion featured Ruppel, alongside a panel of experts including Ministry of Justice legal drafter Felecity !Owases, University of Namibia environmental law lecturer Elize Shakalela, legal practitioner Stefanie Busch, consultant Detlof von Oertzen, researcher Willem Odendaal and environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti.
