Environmental Security in Namibia

The relationship between Namibia’s economy and environment has developed into a catch-22 in the past decade, as environmental degradation cannot improve without funding from the economy, yet economic growth is a direct cause of this degradation. Without a strong economy, Namibia’s government has little funding to create and implement environmental policies that may in turn help boost the economy.

Namibia’s three primary commodities of agriculture, fishing, and mining encompass 80% of the country’s exports, and over 20% of the gross domestic product. A majority of Namibians are employed in one of the three primary commodities, and are reliant on them for both economic opportunity and individual sustenance. Because only 48.8% of the population is currently employed, families without incomes must be able to provide their own food or else face starvation. The safety and continuation of citizen’s access to resources is paramount, as the livelihood of an entire population is at stake.

Agricultural production utilizes 70% of Namibia’s water sources, due to extreme water scarcity in the region. At least 92% of the land is considered semi to hyper-arid, as the country is composed of mostly deserts receiving only 285 millimeters of rainfall annually. Legislation to protect and improve irrigation practices as well as water security has been in draft form since 1993, with little to no progress made in putting such legislation into practice. The government lacks both the capacity and funding to update irrigation systems to modern standards, which leaves many farmers with inconsistent access to water sources. Currently, Namibia’s Water Act 54, which regulates the control, use, and conservation of water, has not been revised since 1956. These are only two examples of the outdated and exclusive water policies throughout Namibia that effectively deny individual non-landowners the rights to secure water access. Combined with governmentally controlled common lands imposed since the colonial era, most citizens have no claim to the land and no incentive to invest in long-term development. Namibia’s sparse population density of only 2.2 persons per kilometer means the government must pay exorbitant amounts of time and money to reach and enforce all governmentally owned lands. Wealthy citizens have taken advantage of the lack of governmental implementation by breaking up communal lands into private farms, leaving as little as 33% of the original land for nearby farmers.

Namibia’s oceans are equally unregulated and over-consumed, due largely in part to its volatile history. Until independence in 1990, no legislation existed limiting who could fish off of the coast. Fish populations were severely depleted by other countries, with Namibia seeing little to none of the profit. Now, half of Namibia’s population lives along the coast, with 90% of this population deriving some sort of income from the sale of fish. Fishing employs over 14,000 citizens, thanks to constitutional amendments that ensure Namibia’s marine resources belong to the state, and the state is the one to reap the benefits. Pollution on the other hand, remains a viable and destructive issue in fishing regions. The fishing sector itself is one of its greatest enemies, as the coast does not have measures to treat discharge and sewage dumped by the boats. Toxic chemicals from Namibia’s other primary commodities have also depleted ocean biodiversity, as pesticides and mining chemicals find their way into the oceans. Combined with organic materials from nearby towns such as sewage and soil run-off, coastal waters often undergo sulfur blooms that deplete oxygen in the water and kill all species of sea animals. Policies against pollution and dumping do exist, with the government in charge of punishment and implementation. Many argue these policies are not enough, as three government ministries have already been charged with ignoring these policies. If the government itself is unable to uphold environmental standards, it is likely the public will do the same.

Lastly, one of the highest income grossing commodities in Namibia is mining. Over thirty different stones and minerals are harvested from Namibia’s soil in forty different formal mining operations. In 2002, diamond production alone contributed to $500 million in exports earnings, all of which is desperately needed by the government to fulfill policy obligations to the people. However, digging giant holes in the ground for resources comes at a price. Heavy construction degrades landscapes, destroys biodiversity and habitats, and consumes large amounts of resources and funding. The Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine in the Namib-Naukluft Park consumes as much water annually as the entire city of Windhoek consumes in a month. Times this factor by all of the other mines in Namibia, and you have a staggering amount of water consumption. Radioactive dust from Uranium sites have also been linked to lung cancer, which has the potential to poison local humans and wildlife. Radioactive materials and chemical waste are easily transmitted into the soil, water and air. Even if the environment is not a dominant policy concern, Namibia must take extreme precautions against poisoning its own people for a profit.

Environmental policy in Namibia has to do with much more than protecting grasslands and ensuring the future populations of sardines. Environmental policy encompasses both human and economic security. The state of the environment today is imperative to the state of nation tomorrow. Without more inclusive legislation and more funding for policy implementation, Namibia may not have excess resources to export, let alone provide for its own population.