Namibia welcomes new SADC wetland sinitiative

An initiative to promote the use and protection of wetlands in 12 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries has been widely welcomed.

The Southern Africa Regional Ramsar Initiative (Sarri) also aims to promote regional cooperation and to ensure that communities benefit from the sustainable and wise use of natural resources.

A number of Namibians involved in wildlife conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources have welcomed the move.

Deputy director for wildlife monitoring and research, and national focal point for the Ramsar Convention, Kenneth //Uiseb, said the initiative will promote best practices among SADC countries.

He noted that one of the aims is to attract much-needed financial and technical resources for wetland management in the region.

International University of Management natural resources management lecturer Sion Iikela says Sarri comes at just the right time as many SADC wetlands are not properly managed.

He cited Namibia’s Cuvelai-Etosha Basin in north-central Namibia, which provides goods and services to people in the area but is threatened by the over-harvesting of fish, pollution and the illegal killing of water birds, and illegal sand mining.

“Therefore, greater efforts are needed to ensure the sustainable use of the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin… A lot of people are dying in pits created by illegal sand miners. Aquatic birds that are associated with this wetland are illegally hunted down with shotguns,” Iikela said.

Namibia Nature Foundation executive director Angus Middleton says the setting up of Sarri shows a strong commitment by SADC to the protection, restoration and inclusive management of wetlands in the region.

“Beyond our coastline, Namibia’s inland wetlands, such as the Nyae Nyae Pans and the Cuvelai Basin, play a critical role in supporting biodiversity, local livelihoods and cultural heritage,” Middleton noted.

Namibia became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1995 and has so far designated five wetlands for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

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