World Bank sponsors coastal conservation

NAMIBIA’S coastal zone and its natural resources hold great importance for the national, regional and local economies, a senior World Bank official said yesterday.

Ritva Reinikka, who is the World Bank representative in Namibia, said the country’s coast and its natural resources generate considerable income from rapidly growing nature-based tourism, an expanding industry and a commercial fishing industry with growing aquaculture. Yesterday, the World Bank and the National Planning Commission (NPC) signed a US$4,9 million (about N$31 million) grant agreement for the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (Nacoma) project.The grant is from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank is the implementing agency.Nacoma is the second project in Namibia to be funded by the World Bank in the past year and a half.The first was the Integrated Community Based Ecosystem Management Project (Icema).In addition, the Bank supports Namibia’s Department of Environmental Affairs and provides technical assistance for targeted environmental studies.Reinikka said if the coastal environment was not regulated and constructively guided, this might result in a long-term loss of biodiversity and reduce in the economic potential of the coast.The project is expected to help increase the size and number of well-managed coastal ecosystems.”It will improve incomes derived from ecosystems as well as foster the incorporation of biodiversity-related aspects into main sector policies, plans and investments,” Reinikka said.NPC Director General Helmut Angula, who signed the grant on behalf of Namibia, said growing economic development and other human activities along the coast have resulted in the overuse of resources and increased pollution.”Maintaining the diversity, health and productivity of our coast is therefore a must in order to gain and sustain the economic and social benefits it provides,” said Angula.He said most management efforts so far have been short term, reactive, fragmented and unco-ordinated.Angula said Nacoma would incorporate coastal conservation and management into the country’s development policies.Yesterday, the World Bank and the National Planning Commission (NPC) signed a US$4,9 million (about N$31 million) grant agreement for the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (Nacoma) project.The grant is from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank is the implementing agency.Nacoma is the second project in Namibia to be funded by the World Bank in the past year and a half.The first was the Integrated Community Based Ecosystem Management Project (Icema).In addition, the Bank supports Namibia’s Department of Environmental Affairs and provides technical assistance for targeted environmental studies.Reinikka said if the coastal environment was not regulated and constructively guided, this might result in a long-term loss of biodiversity and reduce in the economic potential of the coast.The project is expected to help increase the size and number of well-managed coastal ecosystems.”It will improve incomes derived from ecosystems as well as foster the incorporation of biodiversity-related aspects into main sector policies, plans and investments,” Reinikka said.NPC Director General Helmut Angula, who signed the grant on behalf of Namibia, said growing economic development and other human activities along the coast have resulted in the overuse of resources and increased pollution.”Maintaining the diversity, health and productivity of our coast is therefore a must in order to gain and sustain the economic and social benefits it provides,” said Angula. He said most management efforts so far have been short term, reactive, fragmented and unco-ordinated.Angula said Nacoma would incorporate coastal conservation and management into the country’s development policies.