Shifeta appoints new advisory council
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has appointed new members of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council, which will advise on amendments to the Environmental Management Act of 2007.
The new members are Gloria Simubali (chairperson), Dr Peter Tarr, Hallo Angala, Petrus Nangolo, Aina Iteta, Joseph Hailwa, Sylvester Mbangu and Jonas Nghishidi.
The council was inaugurated in January 2013 and its establishment is mandated in terms of Section 6 of the Act.
The new eight-member council will serve for a term of three years effective from 1 October.
Shifeta said the ministry was drafting amendments to the Act.
He therefore urged the advisory council to assist by looking into what is lacking in the Act and how Namibia can better protect its environment and resources.
He told the advisory council that one of the issues that they will have to address is to make sure communities are using resources sustainably.
He said benefit sharing for communities must be established.
Shifeta explained that communal land means that communities own the land they live on, and whoever wants to utilise resources on that land should approach the traditional authorities and consult the communities.
He further said that a trust account must be set up if someone wants to utilise the resources on the land and that communities must consent to how this money will be used.
“This is not what is happening. Traditional authorities ignore this part and want everything for themselves. The correct undertakings are not done and communities are not consulted. If we do not come up with principles to make sure communities benefit, we are failing” he said.
According to Shifeta, the advisory council is a key mechanism for ensuring the effective implementation of the Act and promoting the broader sustainable development of the nation. He said the council's main functions are to promote coordination between stakeholders on environmental issues relating to sustainable development and to advise the environment minister on a wide range of environmental matters, with particular focus on legislation, policy and compliance measures.
According to Shifeta, the council should also advise on appropriate methods of monitoring compliance as set out in the Environment Act. He said this was of critical importance as it provided the basis for them to prevent the degradation of the environment and to foster the sustainable management of all natural resources.
Shifeta stressed that renewable resources must be used on a sustainable basis for the benefit of present and future generations and that community involvement in natural resources management and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of the resources must be promoted and facilitated.
He also said that damage to the environment must be prevented and activities that cause such damage must be reduced, limited or controlled. “These principles guide us to minimise the impact of development on our fragile environment but also to ensure that the environment is used to drive economic development and improve the lives of our people. We need to do our utmost to ensure that we as a nation live by these principles.”
ELLANIE SMIT
The new members are Gloria Simubali (chairperson), Dr Peter Tarr, Hallo Angala, Petrus Nangolo, Aina Iteta, Joseph Hailwa, Sylvester Mbangu and Jonas Nghishidi.
The council was inaugurated in January 2013 and its establishment is mandated in terms of Section 6 of the Act.
The new eight-member council will serve for a term of three years effective from 1 October.
Shifeta said the ministry was drafting amendments to the Act.
He therefore urged the advisory council to assist by looking into what is lacking in the Act and how Namibia can better protect its environment and resources.
He told the advisory council that one of the issues that they will have to address is to make sure communities are using resources sustainably.
He said benefit sharing for communities must be established.
Shifeta explained that communal land means that communities own the land they live on, and whoever wants to utilise resources on that land should approach the traditional authorities and consult the communities.
He further said that a trust account must be set up if someone wants to utilise the resources on the land and that communities must consent to how this money will be used.
“This is not what is happening. Traditional authorities ignore this part and want everything for themselves. The correct undertakings are not done and communities are not consulted. If we do not come up with principles to make sure communities benefit, we are failing” he said.
According to Shifeta, the advisory council is a key mechanism for ensuring the effective implementation of the Act and promoting the broader sustainable development of the nation. He said the council's main functions are to promote coordination between stakeholders on environmental issues relating to sustainable development and to advise the environment minister on a wide range of environmental matters, with particular focus on legislation, policy and compliance measures.
According to Shifeta, the council should also advise on appropriate methods of monitoring compliance as set out in the Environment Act. He said this was of critical importance as it provided the basis for them to prevent the degradation of the environment and to foster the sustainable management of all natural resources.
Shifeta stressed that renewable resources must be used on a sustainable basis for the benefit of present and future generations and that community involvement in natural resources management and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of the resources must be promoted and facilitated.
He also said that damage to the environment must be prevented and activities that cause such damage must be reduced, limited or controlled. “These principles guide us to minimise the impact of development on our fragile environment but also to ensure that the environment is used to drive economic development and improve the lives of our people. We need to do our utmost to ensure that we as a nation live by these principles.”
ELLANIE SMIT
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