Windhoek — Namibia's fragile environment provides the economy with renewable and non-renewable resources, which have to be harvested in a sustainable manner for future generations, New Era reports.

Namibia is a primary-based economy for its reliance on its natural resources, and the National Development Plan 3 (NDP 3) - like the previous short-term development plans - requires an efficient and sustainable usage of is renewable and non-renewable resources.

But there are a myriad of challenges. The arid country is lodged between two deserts that cover 16 percent of the total land mass, and is vulnerable to recurrent droughts and floods. And as an exporter of its natural resources and net importer of processed goods, the country remains vulnerable to fluctuations in world market prices and current exchange rates.

That is why over-utilisation of both renewable and non-renewable resources has prompted the Namibian Government to introduce corrective controlling measures and the introduction of relevant institutions and implementation of its community-based management (CBM) programmes for natural resources like forestry, wildlife, energy, fisheries and water.

So far, the Government has registered significant efforts to set the right legislative environment for the sustainable usage of its resources, but acknowledges that a lot remains to be done to bolster these attempts.

So, for example, in the fishing sector, a stringent quota system has been introduced; licences have been introduced for the small-scale mining sector and for the use of forest resources and hunting, with other forms of restrictions also in place.

And through the community-based natural resources management programmes (CBNRM), jobs have been created at local level in established conservancies and community forests.

However, the Government warned, the adverse effects of HIV/Aids and environmental degradation cannot be ignored as they impact on most of the programmes in these sectors.

Further, technical capacity and financial resources further threaten optimal and efficient usage of the country's natural resources.

NDP 3 Goals

NDP 3 aims at increasing the contribution of renewable and non-renewable resources to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as well as to formulate and harmonise the legislative environment to ensure efficient and sustainable use of the country's natural resources.

- The Water Sector

Namibia is an arid country, with only the northern parts and the Tsumeb-Otavi-Grootfontein groundwater aquifer having sufficient water. It also has access to only three ephemeral rivers - Zambezi, Kunene and Kavango - with its largest inland dams vulnerable to high levels of evaporation that average at 3,200 mm per annum.

Under NDP 2 the Water Resource Managing Act of 2004 was enacted but it still has to be implemented.

The Cabinet has also approved the National Water Policy White Paper in 2006, and it resolved that a Water Resources Management Agency be created to oversee the integrated management of water resources. In addition, the Water Resources Development and Management and water conservation strategy have been submitted to Cabinet.

An overall goal is to make more water available through finding new water sources (especially groundwater), and securing of additional allocation of water from perennial rivers, the reuse of more water after treatments, and the desalination of seawater.

- Forestry

This sector's contribution to the GDP remains understandably negligible and informal, but a National Forest Inventory has shed some light to the economic gains made from firewood, poles, and saw timber.

Namibia's woodlands cover 20 percent of the total landmass, while the savannah covers 64 percent.

The country's highest wood stock is in the Kavango region (34 percent), followed by Oshikoto (17 percent), Otjozondjupa (16 percent), Caprivi (12 percent) and Ohangwena (8 percent) and Omaheke (6.5 percent).

The value of forest products was estimated at N$10.202 million in fuel wood; N$2,043 in poles; and N$634 million in sawn timber. This has shown that a significant number of Namibians are directly dependent on forest resources. This includes the usage of fuel wood, building material, fodder, food and medicinal plants.

A significant development in the forestry sector during NDP 2 was the declaration of 13 community forest areas that cover 1.3 million hectares and are accessed by about 230000 people. Another 16 community forest areas are being considered. Forest management plans have been completed and implementation of these plans has begun.

A study has indicated that rural populations can earn up to N$4000 per year through direct income from forestry activities.

Further, a number of forestation and reforestation programmes have been implemented with about 200 hectares of tree planting completed, and four forest research stations established.

Some years ago the Cabinet directed that at least 1.5 million trees should be planted annually. This has apparently remained a challenge due to the limited water resources available.

Also during NDP 2, communities with the assistance of the government, produced charcoal from invader bush, establishing a charcoal industry with the bulk of its products exported to Europe.

A big challenge remains for the sustainable forest management due to inadequately trained staff at post-graduate level to effectively use forest research information. This has resulted in that new technologies and initiatives have not been effectively implemented at local levels.

NDP 3 aims at declaring 40 community forests by 2012, and to increase the forestry sector's contribution to the GDP by five percent, and the number of local people employed in the forestry sector to at least 3600 people.

- The Fishing Sector

During NDP 2, the total allowable catch (TAC) for commercial fish species remained more or less unchanged, with the exception of hake that was revised during the 2006/07 season for the purpose of conservation and stock rebuilding.

The country's average annual fish catches amounted to about 574460 tonnes, which was valued at N$3.6 billion. Oyster mari-culture production in 2006 went up to 670 tonnes.

This means that fishing became the second biggest foreign exchange earner after mining, and contributed about 4.8 percent to the GDP, and onshore fish processing contributed another 1.7 percent to the GDP during the NDP 2 period.

Although 50 percent of the sector's targets were met during the NDP 2 period, the industry remains challenged due to a lack in technical know-how, hampering the progress in the Namibianisation drive of the sector, especially in the mid-water trawling fishery, reported the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

During the NDP 3 period, this sector aims to see a recovery in the fishing stocks by 2011 while taking cognisance of environmental uncertainties as follows: hake (2 million tonnes); pilchard (200000 tonnes); horse mackerel (2.5 million tonnes); rock lobster (3000 tonnes); crab (20000 tonnes); monk (55000 tonnes); and orange roughy (10000 tonnes).

It further aims to increase its contribution to the GDP to 6 to 6.5 percent by 2011, and to increase full-time employment in this sector to 13600 by the same year.

- Wildlife

During NDP 2, the wildlife sector generated about N$8.9 million from conservancies through trophy hunting, wildlife capture and the sale of game meat for local consumption and exports.

Community-managed conservancies registered an income of about N$28 million from hunting and tourism, and also recorded a reduction in poaching and other illegal activities.

Fifty community-managed conservancies were registered, with one association in the Bwabwata National Park.

About 30 new community conservancies have been formed, and the initial allocation for protected areas, which previously covered about 13.8 percent of the land area, has been increased to 17 percent with the inclusion of the Sperrgebiet and the new National Park in Kunene.

NDP 3, like the previous development plans, envisages the promotion of sustainable usage of wildlife in communal and commercial areas.

- Mining

The mining sector has experienced rapid growth particularly during the last part of the NDP 2 period with increased demand in minerals, new mining and infrastructural developments, and the agreement to allocate 16 percent of diamond production at local cutting and polishing establishments.

During NDP 2 the mining and quarrying sectors accounted for 10.4 percent of the GDP, with the value of mineral exports increasing from N$6.2 billion in 2001 to N$7.1 billion in 2005.

On average, the share of mineral exports in total amounted to 40 percent, with diamonds accounting for 75 percent of the mineral exports.

These improvements are ascribed to improved mining methods, increased output and local value addition activities.

NDP 3 aims at promoting responsible exploration and development of Namibia's mineral resources "for the benefit of all".

It is envisaged that the Minerals Act be enacted by 2008 and for the mining charter be completed by 2009.

The sector further aims at increasing its contribution to the GDP by 6 percent; to increase the number of small and medium-sized enterprises with Namibian ownership in the mining sector by two in 2012; to increase black economic empowerment equities in mining by 15 percent by 2012; and to increase women's employment in the mining sector by two percent in the same year.

- Agriculture

During NDP 2, agricultural product exports amounted to N$1.1 billion (6.9 percent of the total exports) in 2005, with livestock accounting for 67 percent of these exports through the export of live animals and animal products.

Agricultural and forestry products made up about four percent of the total national imports, with meat and meat products accounting for about two percent.

Some of the significant developments in this sector during NDP 2 included the development of irrigation under the government's Green Scheme; the promotion of domestic horticulture production and processing, which includes the processing and marketing of sub-tropical fruit production, wild silk crop development, the processing and marketing of mahangu.

The NDP 3 period hopes to bring about a 25 percent increase in mahangu production per land unit, and a general increase in production of sorghum (25 percent), dry land maize (15 percent), irrigated maize (25 percent), wheat (25 percent), decrease imports of horticultural produce by 60 percent, and increase dry cowpea production by 25 percent.

Namibia's indigenous plants like the devil's claw, hoodia, marula, prickly pear and melon seed, to mention a few, are still to be grown and sold to exploit their international commercial values. But the government foresees for the NDP 3 period and increase in production of devil's claw by 100 percent, an increase in hoodia cultivation by 50 percent, melon seeds by 20 percent, and to increase the Ximenia nut collection by 20 percent.

- Energy

Namibia is heavily dependent on energy imports; it imports more than 50 percent of its electricity from mainly South Africa. But with South Africa's power crunch, this leaves Namibia is a quandary to either find other energy sources to import, or to develop its own energy sources.

Achievements registered during NDP 2 include the off-grid electrification of some rural areas using renewable energy sources, although results here were mixed. It also involved the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in some parts of the country, and the rural electrification programmes under the Rural Electricity Distribution Master Plan that specifies off-grid and grid electrification of rural areas until 2040.

Challenges emanated from the reluctance of Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) from taking over the electricity billing and collection functions from municipalities.

Another bottleneck was from the difficulties to adapt available renewable energy technologies to fit the realities of Namibia.

Current electricity supplies inside the country come from the 249 megawatts Ruacana hydro power station, the 120 megawatts Van Eck coal-fired plant, the 24 megawatts Paratus plant based on heavy fuel oil and diesel operated only during emergencies and peak hours.

The Kudu gas plant is still in the offing, as well as other hydro-electricity plants and a coal-fired plant at Walvis Bay.

Moreover, the government's White Paper on Energy policy advocates for increased use of renewable energy sources, which include wind, solar, wave and biomass power.