Namibia high with low impact
Namibia has achieved a place in the top third of countries in the world with the least environmental impact, while neighbouring South Africa has been ranked among the countries with the worst environmental impact.
Namibia achieved the 13th spot on a list of 102 countries ranked from best to worst in terms of the human impact on the environment, per person.
The study gauges the impact of citizens on the environment by taking into account the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix, the energy consumption per capita, the carbon dioxide emissions per capita, wastewater treatment capacity, municipal solid waste generated, air pollution and tree cover loss.
The ranking done by MoneySuperMarket, a UK-based financial services institution, applied the most weight to carbon dioxide emissions, municipal solid waste and energy consumption in terms of impacts on the environment.
According to the study, more than 88.56% of Namibia's energy comes from green sources, including power generation at Ruacana.
Namibia's carbon dioxide emissions equate to only 1.2 tonnes per person, while its air pollution rates are at levels of five micrograms per cubic metre. These figures are quoted per year.
Furthermore with regards to Namibia's energy consumption, each person in the country uses an average of 31.25 BTUs (traditional unit of heat) per year, while its municipal waste level per person is 0.5 kg per day.
The study placed five African countries in the top ten for lowest environmental impact. Mozambique was number-one in the global rankings with the lowest human impact on the environment per person. Nearly all of the energy they use is produced from green energy (99.87%), and the country only produces 0.14 kg of waste per person per day. To put that into perspective, the US produces 2.58 kg a day per person.
Elsewhere in Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Kenya and Ghana also ranked 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th respectively.
Africa as a continent topped the charts and featured strongly in its use of green energy, low carbon dioxide emissions and low levels of air pollution and waste production.
Ethiopia scored particularly low in its energy consumption, with each person only using an average of 1.75 BTUs per year. By contrast, Trinidad, the worst country for environmental impact, tops the list for energy consumption using a grand total of 757.54 BTUs per year.
Zambia had the lowest carbon dioxied emissions, with only 0.07 tonnes per person, whereas in Trinidad the emissions are at an average of 37.1 tonnes per person.
Kenyans ranked well with the third lowest air pollution rates at 4.3 micrograms per cubic metre. In comparison, China has the worst air pollution at 47.2.
Ghana ranked 7th and has the lowest municipal waste level per person (0.09 kg per day), compared to Irish citizens who accumulate 3.58 kg per day. Meanwhile South Africa was the only African country placed in the top 10 worst countries for environmental impact. Ranking at 95 on the list, it performed worse than countries such as Cyprus and Malaysia and with 9.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide omissions per person. This is more than China which ranks at number 97 with its emissions at 7.2 tonnes person.
ELLANIE SMIT
Namibia achieved the 13th spot on a list of 102 countries ranked from best to worst in terms of the human impact on the environment, per person.
The study gauges the impact of citizens on the environment by taking into account the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix, the energy consumption per capita, the carbon dioxide emissions per capita, wastewater treatment capacity, municipal solid waste generated, air pollution and tree cover loss.
The ranking done by MoneySuperMarket, a UK-based financial services institution, applied the most weight to carbon dioxide emissions, municipal solid waste and energy consumption in terms of impacts on the environment.
According to the study, more than 88.56% of Namibia's energy comes from green sources, including power generation at Ruacana.
Namibia's carbon dioxide emissions equate to only 1.2 tonnes per person, while its air pollution rates are at levels of five micrograms per cubic metre. These figures are quoted per year.
Furthermore with regards to Namibia's energy consumption, each person in the country uses an average of 31.25 BTUs (traditional unit of heat) per year, while its municipal waste level per person is 0.5 kg per day.
The study placed five African countries in the top ten for lowest environmental impact. Mozambique was number-one in the global rankings with the lowest human impact on the environment per person. Nearly all of the energy they use is produced from green energy (99.87%), and the country only produces 0.14 kg of waste per person per day. To put that into perspective, the US produces 2.58 kg a day per person.
Elsewhere in Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Kenya and Ghana also ranked 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th respectively.
Africa as a continent topped the charts and featured strongly in its use of green energy, low carbon dioxide emissions and low levels of air pollution and waste production.
Ethiopia scored particularly low in its energy consumption, with each person only using an average of 1.75 BTUs per year. By contrast, Trinidad, the worst country for environmental impact, tops the list for energy consumption using a grand total of 757.54 BTUs per year.
Zambia had the lowest carbon dioxied emissions, with only 0.07 tonnes per person, whereas in Trinidad the emissions are at an average of 37.1 tonnes per person.
Kenyans ranked well with the third lowest air pollution rates at 4.3 micrograms per cubic metre. In comparison, China has the worst air pollution at 47.2.
Ghana ranked 7th and has the lowest municipal waste level per person (0.09 kg per day), compared to Irish citizens who accumulate 3.58 kg per day. Meanwhile South Africa was the only African country placed in the top 10 worst countries for environmental impact. Ranking at 95 on the list, it performed worse than countries such as Cyprus and Malaysia and with 9.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide omissions per person. This is more than China which ranks at number 97 with its emissions at 7.2 tonnes person.
ELLANIE SMIT
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article