Ministry of Environment and Tourism

Introduction

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has defined its mission with the full recognition of sustainable management of natural resources for economic development and environmental protection as its key principles. Hence, the ministry’s mission is to rehabilitate and maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems, to conserve biological diversity, and to ensure that the utilisation of natural renewable resources is sustainable for the benefit of all Namibians -- both present and future, and for the global community.

From the ministry’s mission statement, sectoral mission statements and objectives have been derived to address development issues in wildlife management, environmental management, forestry, and tourism as follows:

Wildlife Management, Utilisation, and Trade: To promote conservation of natural resources and wildlife habitat in Namibia, and sustainable use of wildlife resources.

Environmental Management: To promote environmental protection, environmental planning, and environmental co-ordination in support of the overall ministry mission and in support of Namibia's constitution.

Forestry: To promote sustainable and participatory management of forest resources and other woody vegetation to enhance socio-economic development and environmental stability.

Tourism: To develop the tourism industry in a sustainable and responsible manner to significantly contribute to the economic development of Namibia and the quality of life of its people.

Structure of the Ministry

The ministry carries out its responsibilities through its Division of Specialist Support Services; Directorate of Resource Management, Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Directorate of Forestry, and Directorate of Tourism.

Achievements

Division of Specialist Support Services

Division of Specialist Support Services was established to provide an institutional home for essential technical and scientific services that could not be decentralised. The main emphasis of the division is to provide technical information and support for conservation and resource management programmes throughout Namibia. The division is thus responsible for:

1.      conducting and, where appropriate, co-ordinating scientific research and monitoring wildlife species and populations of ecological and economic importance;

2.      facilitating, through permit control, the sustainable utilisation of wildlife resources in Namibia in terms of the Nature Conservation Ordinance, and thus supplementing law enforcement and other regulatory processes managed by other ministerial  components;

3.      managing the national stocks of controlled game products, e.g., ivory and rhinoceros horn;

4.      operating as the national implementing body for CITES, i.e., the Namibian Management Authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;

5.      providing co-ordination and support for the implementation of other conventions and international agreements, e.g., the Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Southern African Convention for Wildlife Management, and regional and bilateral agreements on the protection and management of various species;

6.      co-ordinating and supporting national conservation and management programmes for key species of economic and ecological importance;

7.      providing specialist technical and scientific advice to other ministerial components and ministry’s management regarding conservation and resource management issues;

8.      capturing and translocation of rare species and other game in support of protected area management, biodiversity conservation, restoring biodiversity, and expanding the wildlife resource base for rural communities; and

9.      providing specialist technical and scientific advice to conservancies and other institutions regarding conservation and resource management issues.

Policy Reform

A comprehensive reform of the ministry’s policy framework for wildlife production and utilisation in support of biodiversity conservation and economic development has been undertaken. This initiative covers a wide range of issues and subjects, such as, conservancies, game-fenced areas, offtake restrictions, import and export of wildlife, implementation of CITES, management of controlled game products, medicinal use of wildlife, disposal of confiscated specimens, trophy hunting, and regulating the capturing, keeping, and transporting of and trading in wildlife. This initiative, based on consultation, is ranked amongst the best to date in southern Africa.  Revised policies will serve as the basis for the proposed Parks and Wildlife Act to replace all existing legislation.

Population Monitoring

In 1995, co-ordinated surveys of elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe were conducted, and were instrumental in gaining support for the CITES down-listing proposals for the elephant populations of these three countries.  The first aerial surveys of large game species in the entire northern and central Namibia as well as the entire southern Namib Desert was conducted in 1997 and 1998.  Other surveys conducted include survey of individual protected areas, e.g., Waterberg Plateau Park, and Etosha National Park; and conservancies, e.g., Torra, Khaodi//hoas, Nyae-Nyae, Seeis, Ngarangombe, etc.; and species on a national level, e.g., mountain zebra, elephant, cheetah, buffalo, etc. Aerial and questionnaire surveys by the ministry have further highlighted the importance of national wildlife resources.

Wildlife Trade and Utilisation

After a long and arduous international process of negotiations that started in 1990, the ministry successfully reinstated raw ivory exports to Japan in 1999.  Namibia played a leading role in the resumption of exports, and defining and meeting a stringent international trade control system.

The ministry has also launched a number of initiatives to review and improve the management of certain wildlife populations, and this work is ongoing insofar as human and other resources allow. These initiatives include conservation of endemic species, such as, black-faced impala and mountain zebra; and species of national or international conservation importance, such as, cheetah, buffalo and elephant; and improved monitoring and objective decision-making regarding wildlife use in general.

Support to Conservancies

The division is aware of the growing need to support the development of conservancies on communal and commercial land largely through offering technical and scientific support for developing management plans, planning for sustainable use of wildlife populations, restoring the wildlife resource base through reintroductions, assistance with the monitoring of wildlife populations, and extension work. To this effect, 1999 saw the first wildlife translocations to community-based conservancies.

Rhinoceros Co-ordination Initiative

Threats to conservation, and management problems regarding rhinoceros remain serious and have major national and international implications. This initiative provides technical support towards efforts to conserve white and black rhinoceros throughout Namibia, and thus improves the status and value of these species to Namibia. Rhino conservation efforts by the ministry are outlined in the Rhinoceros Conservation Plan that aims to establish a long-term viable population of at least 2000 arid zone black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) and 500 white rhinoceros in suitable habitat throughout Namibia. As part of this effort, a black rhinoceros custodianship scheme was initiated in 1993 to reduce security threat by establishing new rhinoceros populations. From an initial population of forty-one animals translocated during the period 1993 to 1997, the numbers have increased to at least fifty-five, and there is every indication that the custodianship program will further help increase the populations of Diceros bicornis bicornis within Namibia.

Directorate of Resource Management

Wildlife Management, Utilisation and Trade

A comprehensive reform of the ministry’s policy framework for wildlife production and utilisation in support of biodiversity conservation and economic development has been completed covering a wide range of issues and subjects, such as, conservancies, game fenced areas, offtake restrictions, import and export of wildlife, implementation of CITES, management of controlled game products, medicinal use of wildlife, disposal of confiscated specimens, trophy hunting, and regulating the capturing, keeping, transport and trade in wildlife. This process has involved a consultative process and has been ranked amongst the best to date in southern Africa. Revised policies will serve as the basis for the proposed Parks and Wildlife Act to replace all existing legislation.

The first aerial surveys of large game species in the entire northern and central Namibia as well as the entire southern Namib Desert were conducted in 1997 and 1998. Various other surveys of individual protected areas, e.g., Waterberg, Etosha, conservancies, e.g., Torra, Khoadi/hoas, Nyae-Nyae, Seeis and Ngarangombe, and species on a national level, e.g., mountain zebra, elephant, cheetah and buffalo, were also conducted.

Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme

Significant progress has been made since 1990 in devising mechanisms for returning benefits from natural resources (mainly wildlife) to rural communities. This was achieved by amending  the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975  to allow communities to have rights to manage and earn income from wildlife similar to those currently enjoyed by commercial farmers on their land.

Government policy to restore wildlife management rights to communities through the establishment of conservancies has been received most favourably, and already four community-based conservancies have been gazetted and another fifteen are in preparation. In fact, communities in all regions are already actively working with the ministry and non-governmental organisations to build up community participation in the management of wildlife. Considerable institutional and social development has already occurred. Community game guards monitor wildlife numbers, and environmental management committees and local leaders are involved in the planning of wildlife management.

People are gaining direct benefits from wildlife in their areas through the development of enterprises for tourists, such as, traditional villages, community campsites, crafts and through the ministry-managed hunting including trophy hunting on established conservancies.  Further development of such economic benefits will be possible in other areas once the proposed conservancies have been established.

Wildlife Trade and Utilisation

Namibia has played a leading role in the resumption of ivory exports and defining and meeting a stringent international trade control system. Subsequently, the ministry succeeded in reinstating export of raw ivory to Japan in 1999 after a long and arduous international process of negotiation which had started in 1990. 

The ministry also launched a number of initiatives to review and improve the management of certain wildlife populations, and this work is ongoing. This work has involved the conservation of endemic species, such as, black-faced impala and mountain zebra, conservation of species of national and international importance, such as, cheetah, buffalo and elephant, and addressing issues, such as, improved monitoring and objective decision-making regarding wildlife-use in general.

As a result of these efforts, Namibia has earned a good reputation in the field of nature conservation and was awarded the ‘Gifts of the Earth’ award by the World Wide Fund for Nature. This award was received last year by the President of Namibia on behalf of the nation.

Value of Wildlife in Namibia

Contribution of wildlife production and utilisation to Namibia’s GDP was approximately N$190 million in 1994, and probably more than N$250 million in 1998.   

Table 1: Wildlife resource facts

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National population of thirty-two species of large mammals in 1998-99: approx. 784 000.

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Approximate number of commercially and economically valuable large mammals:

Estimated number of 32 species of large mammals removed from wild populations per annum (including game camps): 100000

Conservancies:

Number of game farms where game farming is the only commercial activity: 10 approx.

Land surface where no commercial use of wildlife is practised:

Twenty year trend (1972-1992):

Directorate of Environmental Affairs

Soon after Namibia became independent, the ministry produced its policy document, the Namibia Green Plan. On environmental matters emphasis is on a cross-ministerial approach, with other ministries and organisations playing their role in the planning effort for the future. Overall, sustainable development rather than nature preservation is emphasised in all the ministry’s documents.

Legislation Review

The ministry initiated a comprehensive overhaul of Namibia’s outdated, fragmented and inadequate environmental legislation.  One of the most important pieces of legislation is the legislation providing for the establishment of conservancies for the benefit of communities from wildlife. In addition, draft bills on Environmental Management, and Pollution and Waste Management will soon be finalised. An environmental impact-assessment policy document has also been put together. These new environmental management laws and policies would enable government to:

1.      Ensure that all future development initiatives are environmentally sustainable. The constitution protects the right to a clean and healthy environment, and entrenches the preservation of the environment for future generations.

2.      Ensure that environmental management is brought closer to grassroots to make it more meaningful. In the past, environmental management was conservation-orientated.  More emphasis is now on sustaining an environment that has favourable impact on people’s lives.

3.      Ensure that industries take on the responsibility of addressing their waste and pollution problems. In this context, the industry had been playing its role in the consultative policy development process.

Directorate of Forestry 

Core functions of the directorate derived from its mission statement include:

1.    the development of appropriate policies, strategies and legislation for the sustainable management of forests;

2.      strategizing resource assessment and monitoring;

3.      strengthening management planning and overseeing management practices;

4.      regulation and control of harvesting and trade in forest products;

5.      promotion of forestry through education and training;

6.      conducting and promoting forestry research;

7.      undertaking afforestation activities; and

8.      protection and conservation of forest areas against destructive harvesting, fires, diseases and pests.

The directorate has been in existence in its present form since 1990. As a major component of the Ministry of Environment, its functions are underpinned by three major government documents namely; the Forest Act of 1968, the Forest Policy of 1992 and the National Forest Strategic Plan of 1996.

When the directorate was created in 1990, it had offices only in Grootfontein, Rundu, KatimaMulilo and Ondangwa. Today, it is located in the ministry’s head office in Windhoek. In addition several field offices have  been built in Ongwediva, Kanovlei, Tsumkwe, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Outapi, Eenhana, Onankali (Oshikoto) and Hamoye (Okavango). In the near future, two field offices will be constructed in Okongo (Ohangwena) and Bukalo (Caprivi) respectively. Existing government offices were also acquired for forestry purposes in Gobabis, Opuwo, Otjiwarongo, Hamoye (Okavango), Mariental and Keetmanshoop. In addition, a National Remote Sensing Centre was created in 1993 to process maps from satellite images and to act as a resource and training centre for government and private concerns. In 1997, a National Forest Research and Seed Centre was also opened in Okahandja.

In 1992, the directorate produced a national forest policy in line with its strategic plan and forest legislation. The directorate also embarked upon the process of revising old and outdated pieces of legislation of 1952 and 1968.

The directorate comprised two divisions, namely, Management and Extension, and Research.  The Management and Extension Division consisted of two regions: north and south under two chief foresters. However, on 1 July 1997, the directorate was re-structured to create three regional divisions; north-west, north-east, and south and central. This restructuring has resulted in increased effectiveness in the provision of services to the highly populated north. In addition, a new Division of Remote Sensing was created, with a chief forester heading it.

The directorate had fully participated in the national planning exercise that led to NDP1 in 1994 in which objectives and targets of the forestry sector were set. However, in 1996, a more detailed sectoral analysis conducted in conjunction with Finland produced the first ever  Forestry Strategic Plan. In this plan, the objectives in NDP1 were further refined and new objectives and sub-sectoral targets were clearly defined. In 1997, a comprehensive implementation phase of the strategic plan started in earnest in co-operation with the Government of Finland.

Development Programmes

Several development programmes have been initiated. Some have been completed while others are ongoing.  Some of the major donor-funded programmes are outlined in Table 2. The Government of Namibia’s contribution to these programmes is in the form of both financial support and contribution in kind.

Table 2: Donor and government of Namibia funded development programmes

* Now part of Namibia-Finland Forestry Programme.

Human Resources Development

The directorate has trained a number of its personnel as follows:

MSc                Four staff members have already completed their studies and one is still studying

BSc                 Two completed the programme in 1997 and 1998, four are studying at Stellenbosch, another four are studying in Australia, and two are studying in the United Kingdom.

Diploma Level Six have completed their studies, three are currently studying in Zimbabwe, and twelve are training at the Ogongo College.

Planned Training One staff members is scheduled to go to the United Kingdom for BSc and two to Stellenbosch for BSc.

Technical Services and Forest Management Functions

As per the ministry’s strategic plan of 1996, a number of targets have been achieved as follows:

1.   140 hectares of woodlots have been established;

2.   several state nurseries in the thirteen regions provide tree seedlings at reasonable prices to the public;

3.   community forest reserves have been created in Outapi, Ohangwena and Rehoboth. More are planned;

4    the ministry has prepared a schedule of tariffs on harvesting, transport and export permits on all forest products in order to recover some of the costs. The target is to recover 10 % of the directorate’s recurrent budget;

5    extension services are provided in the northern parts of the country; and

6.   fire control programmes have been established in Caprivi and Kavango.

Directorate of Tourism

Tourism offers an important sustainable economic activity for all Namibians – whether as entrepreneurs and investors, or as a creator of employment. Government recognises the importance to Namibia of encouraging sustainable tourism for the benefit of all Namibians.

The Directorate of Tourism comprises two divisions, viz., a Tourism Development Division and a Division on Gaming.

The Tourism Development Division is responsible for policy development, planning, co-ordination, and the analysis and publication of data on the tourism sector. Its objectives include: providing  leadership and guidance to the tourism sector of Namibia by completing the review of Namibia's tourism policy with full consultation with all stakeholders, supporting regional tourism development plans, publishing and analysing accurate and up-to-date tourism statistics, and building Namibia's profile in world tourism forums.

The Division on Gaming oversees the existing casino gambling operations and develops new policies related to lotteries and betting shops. Its objectives include regulating the gambling industry through effective legislation, regulation, and control by updating casino and gambling house legislation, introducing lotteries legislation and establishing a Namibian Betting Board.

The third division, the Tourism Promotions Division, will continue to function within the directorate until such time as the planned new statutory authority, the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), is established. Its objective is to market Namibia effectively as a tourism destination by reviewing Namibia’s tourism marketing strategy, maintaining Namibia's tourism marketing and promotional efforts internationally, reviewing Namibia's international representation, improving cost effectiveness, and accelerating the establishment of the Namibia Tourism Board.  A former division of the Tourism Directorate, the Resorts Division, was commercialised in April 1999 to become Namibia Wildlife Resorts Ltd (NWR). The shareholding minister of this parastatal is the Minister of Environment and Tourism.

Contribution of Tourism to the Namibian Economy

Tourism is now the third highest contributor to the country’s GDP after agriculture and fisheries. It is estimated that in 1992 over 10 000 persons were directly employed in tourism.   These numbers have doubled in the past eight years. Namibia’s tourist arrivals have grown from some 250 000 in 1993 (the first year for which statistics are available) to 560 000 in 1998. The World Tourism Organisation has forecast that by the year 2020 Namibia could receive more than two million tourists.

These achievements have been made possible as a result of close working partnership between public and private sectors. 

The tourism sector is expected to secure further boost with a new phase of European Union development assistance expected to commence early in 2000. Under this programme, the focus would be on overcoming the various constraints to continued growth of the sector.

Human Resource Development

There remains a shortage of skilled personnel across the tourism sector. There is no single hotel training school as a focal point for front office, food and beverage, and restaurant skills training. The Hospitality Training Centre requires more trained staff to deliver the tourism courses developed during the Foundation Phase.

Tour guide training is restricted to those who can afford to pay course fees and does not address the needs of communities. Customer care courses conducted during the Foundation Phase were only delivered to the staff of five of the twenty-six border points.

Community-based Tourism Development

The Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) is a relatively young organisation but one that has already established itself as the focal point for co-ordinated planning, management and guidance for its current membership of thirty community-based tourism projects. NACOBTA does not as yet, however, have the resources to properly provide the training and marketing support sought by its members. 

Namibia Wildlife Resorts

Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) comprises twelve resorts and eight camping sites that combine to make it the largest operator in the accommodation sector. As a new company, the imminent challenge for NWR will be to quickly transform itself from a civil service organisation into an effective and profitable player in the commercial sector.

Resource Management and Environmental Conservation

Namibia has fourteen national parks and recreation areas, two of which (Etosha and the Namib Naukluft) attract between 70 to 80% of all visitors to Namibia. Both these primary tourism attractions lack up-to-date management plans that would ideally incorporate planning for the surrounding communal areas.  Although the government makes budgetary provisions for maintenance expenses, these allocations are not sufficient to sustain and improve road circuits and fire breaks in the national parks and recreation areas. 

Over peak periods, capacity limitations at certain tourist attractions (e.g. Sossusvlei) may have already been reached and there is a pressing need to diversify and develop the tourism products in, for example, the Namib Naukluft and other southern desert parks.  With regard to the emerging conservancies, the Directorate of Resource Management does not have the necessary resources needed to build up its skills to deal with conservancy issues which will undoubtedly become more pervasive as these bodies become active.

Marketing and Promotion

As a newly formed organisation, NTB will not have the experience or skills to make it effective in its role of generically promoting Namibia in overseas markets. Within Namibia, the current grading and classification system is overly complex and is in urgent need of revision. There is also a severe shortage in both the quality and quantity of visitor data needed to support the decision-making efforts of both public and private sectors.

Vision 2030

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s vision is to ensure continued maintenance and rehabilitation of essential ecological processes and life support systems, conservation of biological diversity, and sustainable utilisation of natural renewable resources for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future, as well as for the global community. The ministry also recognises the importance of ensuring that communities benefit from natural resources, and will therefore continue to promote community-based natural resource management programmes. In short, the ministry’s vision for the new millennium, and for the year 2030, will be to maintain biological diversity, and to ensure that benefits of renewable natural resources accrue to the Namibian people.

Namibia’s attraction to tourists is its natural heritage of wilderness and desert landscapes, wildlife and diverse cultures. These attractions are fragile and over-exploitation can destroy them. Therefore, the ministry also committed to ensuring that Namibian tourism is sustainable by ensuring that the country’s fragile natural heritage is exploited with sensitivity to future generations.

Challenges for the New Millennium

One of the challenges faced by the ministry is to restructure it to enhance its efficiency for achieving its missions statement, namely, to maintain and rehabilitate essential ecological processes and life support systems, to conserve biological diversity and to ensure that the utilisation of natural renewable resources is sustainable for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future, as well as for the global community. The proposal incorporates the establishment of a Department of Parks and Wildlife Management in recognition of the contribution that the wildlife sector makes to the Namibian economy not only directly but also indirectly as a major tourist attraction. The ministry’s other challenges include:

1.   Ensuring that all the four programmes of the strategic plan, viz., institutional capacity building, community level management of natural forests, farm and environmental forestry, will be fully operational in all the forestry regions of Namibia by the year 2005.

2.   Ensuring that 70% of all professional posts and 100% of all technical posts are filled by appropriately trained Namibians by the year 2005.

3.   Establishing a fully functional inventory and planning unit by the year 2005.

4.   Establishing 10% of the total land area as legally recognised forest areas by the year 2010;

5.   Ensuring