Ministry condemns illegal sand, gravel mining

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has strongly condemned the ongoing rise in illegal sand and gravel mining activities, warning that the practice poses serious risks to human life, livelihoods and the environment.

In a media statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry says many individuals and businesses continue to mine sand and gravel without the required environmental clearance certificates (ECCs), in contravention of the Environmental Management Act, 2007.

“Any sand and gravel mining activity must be preceded by an environmental impact assessment, an environmental management plan and the issuance of an ECC from the Office of the Environmental Commissioner,” the ministry says.

The ministry warns that illegal mining has resulted in land degradation, erosion of riverbanks, destruction of wetlands and damage to agricultural land such as mahangu fields. These activities, it says, threaten water and food security, grazing land and biodiversity.

Of particular concern are open pits left behind by illegal mining operations, which fill with water during the rainy season and pose a danger to wildlife, livestock and people, especially children.

While acknowledging the growing demand for sand and gravel driven by national development priorities such as road construction, housing and other infrastructure projects, the ministry stresses that development must not undermine environmental protection.

“Development cannot come at the cost of irreversible environmental degradation,” the ministry says, adding that proper regulation of sand and gravel mining is essential to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability.

The ministry says illegal sand and gravel mining violates not only statutory law but also the Namibian Constitution.

Article 95(l) of the Constitution obliges the state to actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting policies aimed at the maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity for the benefit of present and future generations.

The ministry says it will soon undertake regional stakeholder engagements on sand and gravel mining regulations to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Environmental Management Act.

It calls on all Namibians, including individuals, businesses, local authorities and traditional leaders, to desist from illegal sand and gravel mining and to comply fully with existing environmental laws.

This week, the Uukwambi Traditional Authority said it would rehabilitate all sand-mined borrow pits that it had permitted to be sand-mined in its area of jurisdiction.

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