City moves towards sustainability
At its monthly meeting, Windhoek City Council recommended that the sand mining policy be converted in terms of the provisions of the Local Authority Act.
The policy is expected to provide a coordinated and harmonised approach in controlling sand and gravel extraction in the city and making it more sustainable.
The City of Windhoek after its monthly meeting on Thursday stated that their responsibility is to ensure that natural resources found within the boundaries of city are managed and utilised sustainably.
According to them rapid development in recent years has resulted in the mushrooming of quarrying and river sand mining activities.
“If the authorisations to extract resources are not guided by a framework underpinned by decision-making criteria, the sustainable supply and replenishment of sand and gravel can be underachieved,” the City maintained.
The City further emphasised although sand and gravel mining has crosscutting implications on socio-economic development, it is being done in an uncontrolled manner and without a consistent regulatory framework.
The key elements for the effective management of aspects associated with sand and gravel extraction are policy objectives, application requirements and procedures, enforcement, general principle for sand mining, appropriate side selection, rehabilitation plan as well as monitoring.
FRED GOEIEMAN
The policy is expected to provide a coordinated and harmonised approach in controlling sand and gravel extraction in the city and making it more sustainable.
The City of Windhoek after its monthly meeting on Thursday stated that their responsibility is to ensure that natural resources found within the boundaries of city are managed and utilised sustainably.
According to them rapid development in recent years has resulted in the mushrooming of quarrying and river sand mining activities.
“If the authorisations to extract resources are not guided by a framework underpinned by decision-making criteria, the sustainable supply and replenishment of sand and gravel can be underachieved,” the City maintained.
The City further emphasised although sand and gravel mining has crosscutting implications on socio-economic development, it is being done in an uncontrolled manner and without a consistent regulatory framework.
The key elements for the effective management of aspects associated with sand and gravel extraction are policy objectives, application requirements and procedures, enforcement, general principle for sand mining, appropriate side selection, rehabilitation plan as well as monitoring.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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