Relax in an environmentally friendly way this holiday

THE last thing thousands of Namibians want to be confronted with on their long-awaited holiday by the sea is a set of strict rules that might cause stress and problems.

The Namib Coast Conservation and Management Project (Nacoma) has therefore issued a passionate plea to all holidaymakers to remember to take care of the environment when they are out enjoying themselves. In the spirit of the Al Gore movie about global warming called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that has caused a worldwide movement towards more environmentally friendly actions, there will be plenty of opportunities for holidaymakers to do their bit at the coast this festive season.”In order to promote tourism for Namibia’s development and at the same time conserve our very sensitive environment this festive season, you can do your part,” says Timo Mufeti of Nacoma.”For example you can assist to direct visitors to designated places for leisure activities and educate them as to which zones are off-limits for conservation purposes.”One of Nacoma’s key strategies is to raise awareness and educate the public on the different issues pertaining to the coastal area.A zone map will be widely distributed and displayed on billboards at strategic points to inform visitors of the different uses of the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.It points out the different areas of use in the area, and explains what the value of the directed use is.The zones were agreed upon by various stakeholders at a recent workshop to discuss a management plan for the dune belt.Mufeti said while the large number of visitors to the coast during the summer holiday was good for the economy, the damage to the natural environment could have severe consequences.”Tourism must be environmentally friendly to remain viable – after all, visitors come to enjoy our beautiful nature.”He said much of the damage was caused because of a lack of education and awareness.Mufeti called on everybody to assist the awareness campaign by taking note of the promotional material and distributing it to friends and visitors.Anybody willing to get more involved with the campaign can contact Timo Mufeti or Rod Braby at the Nacoma offices at Swakopmund, tel.(064) 40 3905.The aim of Nacoma, a five-year project, is to develop a common vision for the management of the coastline, and possibly designate some entity to become responsible for the area.In the spirit of the Al Gore movie about global warming called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that has caused a worldwide movement towards more environmentally friendly actions, there will be plenty of opportunities for holidaymakers to do their bit at the coast this festive season.”In order to promote tourism for Namibia’s development and at the same time conserve our very sensitive environment this festive season, you can do your part,” says Timo Mufeti of Nacoma.”For example you can assist to direct visitors to designated places for leisure activities and educate them as to which zones are off-limits for conservation purposes.”One of Nacoma’s key strategies is to raise awareness and educate the public on the different issues pertaining to the coastal area.A zone map will be widely distributed and displayed on billboards at strategic points to inform visitors of the different uses of the dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.It points out the different areas of use in the area, and explains what the value of the directed use is.The zones were agreed upon by various stakeholders at a recent workshop to discuss a management plan for the dune belt.Mufeti said while the large number of visitors to the coast during the summer holiday was good for the economy, the damage to the natural environment could have severe consequences.”Tourism must be environmentally friendly to remain viable – after all, visitors come to enjoy our beautiful nature.”He said much of the damage was caused because of a lack of education and awareness.Mufeti called on everybody to assist the awareness campaign by taking note of the promotional material and distributing it to friends and visitors.Anybody willing to get more involved with the campaign can contact Timo Mufeti or Rod Braby at the Nacoma offices at Swakopmund, tel.(064) 40 3905.The aim of Nacoma, a five-year project, is to develop a common vision for the management of the coastline, and possibly designate some entity to become responsible for the area.