Prospecters pose environmental challenge in Namib-Naukluft

MINING companies prospecting for uranium in the Namib-Naukluft Park pose a major challenge to this protected area, a senior Ministry of Environment and Tourism official said last Friday.

At present there are about 200 prospecting boreholes in the park, some of which are in pristine areas, said Ben Beytell, Director of Parks and Wildlife Management. Beytell said many companies are prospecting for uranium and some are trying to evade official procedures.”You saw on your way to Ganab, that whole open area on your left is under prospecting,” Beytell told journalists and officials from conservation organisations at Ganab Station on Friday afternoon.The group stopped at Ganab while on their way to the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre for the 101st anniversary of the Namib-Naukluft Park on Saturday.Ganab is one of the two stations for the park officials.Beytell said because of an absence of environmental officials in the park, some prospecting companies are disregarding regulations officials.”They think they can just run us over,” he said.Beytell also noted that mines such as the Langer Heinrich is problematic for some reptiles and insects as the noise from the mine (which also reaches Ganab) disturbs insects and reptiles and stops them from calling each other.”Why do you think they call each other? They call each other to mate,” he said.Beytell said his Ministry and the Mines and Energy had set up a joint committee to address the situation, to make sure that all mineral prospecting activities are subjected to the environmental impact assessment.Manie le Roux, Head of Namib Naukluft Park, said his officials were closely monitoring mining prospecting activities and many were co-operating.According to Le Roux, poaching is not a major problem.The Namib Naukluft Park is about 5 million hectares in size and includes sand dunes.It has 52 camp sites and is very popular with tourists.Wild animals found in the park include springboks, zebras and black rhinos.Speaking at the 101st anniversary celebration of the Namib-Naukluft Park at Gobabeb on Saturday, Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said she is aware of the exploration and mining activities in protected areas, including the Namib-Naukluft Park.She said guided by the Namibian constitution, the Environment Management Act and the Mineral Exploration Act of the Ministry of Mines, the two Ministries have to work together to establish a framework for the conservation of biological diversity and for the utilisation of the country’s living and non-living resources on a sustainable basis.”The exploitation of our non-renewable natural resources including minerals, have to be exploited in the way that they will have a long effect into the country’s economic development and leave the ecosystem for use by the future generations,” she said.Beytell said many companies are prospecting for uranium and some are trying to evade official procedures.”You saw on your way to Ganab, that whole open area on your left is under prospecting,” Beytell told journalists and officials from conservation organisations at Ganab Station on Friday afternoon.The group stopped at Ganab while on their way to the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre for the 101st anniversary of the Namib-Naukluft Park on Saturday.Ganab is one of the two stations for the park officials.Beytell said because of an absence of environmental officials in the park, some prospecting companies are disregarding regulations officials.”They think they can just run us over,” he said.Beytell also noted that mines such as the Langer Heinrich is problematic for some reptiles and insects as the noise from the mine (which also reaches Ganab) disturbs insects and reptiles and stops them from calling each other.”Why do you think they call each other? They call each other to mate,” he said.Beytell said his Ministry and the Mines and Energy had set up a joint committee to address the situation, to make sure that all mineral prospecting activities are subjected to the environmental impact assessment.Manie le Roux, Head of Namib Naukluft Park, said his officials were closely monitoring mining prospecting activities and many were co-operating.According to Le Roux, poaching is not a major problem.The Namib Naukluft Park is about 5 million hectares in size and includes sand dunes.It has 52 camp sites and is very popular with tourists.Wild animals found in the park include springboks, zebras and black rhinos.Speaking at the 101st anniversary celebration of the Namib-Naukluft Park at Gobabeb on Saturday, Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said she is aware of the exploration and mining activities in protected areas, including the Namib-Naukluft Park.She said guided by the Namibian constitution, the Environment Management Act and the Mineral Exploration Act of the Ministry of Mines, the two Ministries have to work together to establish a framework for the conservation of biological diversity and for the utilisation of the country’s living and non-living resources on a sustainable basis.”The exploitation of our non-renewable natural resources including minerals, have to be exploited in the way that they will have a long effect into the country’s economic development and leave the ecosystem for use by the future generations,” she said.