35% of Namibia’s environment is degraded

ELLANIE SMIT WINDHOEK An estimated 35% of the environment in Namibia is considered to be in a degraded state, with over 36% of the population affected.Despite these conditions, agricultural activities are practiced on more than 70% of the country’s land mass by an estimated two-thirds of the population.This is according to environment minister Pohamba Shifeta, who was speaking at the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 26). The conference is being held in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November.Shifeta said Namibia has an area of 824 292 square kilometres and an estimated population of 2.5 million people, making it the second lowest populated country in the world at 3.1 people per square kilometre.“The aridity and climatic variability of the country make land use a risky business and sustainable land management is therefore of paramount importance.”He said these risks are amplified by the frequent occurrence of droughts, which are expected to become even more frequent and severe under the current and forecasted climate change scenarios.ConventionsIn order to deal with climate change, Namibia has ratified three environmental conventions, namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1997.Shifeta said Namibia has also embraced the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and aims to meet concrete targets that reduce land degradation while contributing to the achievement of the UNCBD and UNFCCC objectives.“Namibia has put in place several multi-sectoral policies aimed at reinforcing LDN at various levels. The most important ones are Vision 2030, which includes goals related to water resources, agriculture production and forest management, and the third national action programme for Namibia to implement the UNCCD.“We are optimistic that the Call for Action on Living Lands and, ultimately, the implementation of the three Rio conventions will be a success moving forward,” Shifeta said.ellanie@namibiansun.com

35% of Namibia’s environment is degraded

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-07

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35% of Namibia’s environment is degraded

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-07

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