Sustainable Development Advisory Council Namibia

Sustainable Development Advisory Council Namibia The SDAC promotes cooperation and coordination and advises Minister of Environment and Tourism on environmental issues relating to sustainable development

05/06/2017

Transparency in the extractives sector report...

http://ippr.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IPPR_Extractives_WEB1.pdf

Retreat of the SDAC at Otjikoto Environmental Education Center and Nature Reserve25-26th March 2017The Sustainable Devel...
05/06/2017

Retreat of the SDAC at Otjikoto Environmental Education Center and Nature Reserve

25-26th March 2017

The Sustainable Development Advisory Council held its first ever retreat at the Otjikoto Environmental Education Center and Nature Reserve, adjacent to the B2Gold Namibia mine, from the 25-26th March 2017.

The retreat provided an opportunity for the Council to identify and prioritise its intervention areas and methodologies during 2017 / 18. The retreat also featured a tour of activities being undertaken at the Otjikoto Environmental Education Center and Nature Reserve as well as of the B2Gold mine operation.

SDAC engages with the private sector on the problem of plastic24 March 2017In view of the ongoing high level discussions...
05/06/2017

SDAC engages with the private sector on the problem of plastic

24 March 2017

In view of the ongoing high level discussions on the banning of plastic bags and increasing public awareness campaigns on the matter, the SDAC engaged with Plastic Packaging cc on 24th March 2017.

The engagement involved a tour of the recycling plant and operations of Plastic Packaging cc in Okahandja and an exchange on the problem of plastic and how it can be best resolved in Namibia.

Managing Director of Plastic Packaging cc, Mr. Jaco Venter, emphasized the need to find common ground and objectives between Government, civil society and the private sector with regard to the introduction of measures to reduce the presence of plastic in the Namibian environment.

As a leading employer and home-grown company, Plastic Packaging cc has recently been vocal regarding initiatives and discussions, which have given momentum towards the possibility of banning plastic bags in Namibia. These included a discussion in the National Assembly on the topic in September 2016 as well as the launch of a “Zero Plastic” campaign in December 2016 aiming towards the banning of non-biodegradable material for the protection of the environment through a group involving the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, the Namibian Chamber of Environment and Ms. Earth Namibia.

During the meeting, common ground moving forward was identified including:
• The desire to move towards zero plastic in the marine environment and to reduce disposal of plastic in landfill sites
• Banning the import of plastic bags containing CaCO3
• Possible introduction of levies on plastic bags once the levies are reinvested into reduce, reuse and recycling initiatives
• Introduction of regulation so that labels on plastic bottles are made from the same material as the bottle itself to allow these bottles to be recycled.

Mr. Venter expressed his desire for the Council members to see the company’s facility in Windhoek and also recommended for the members to view the recently opened Waste to Energy facility at Rent-A-Drum in Windhoek.

Council members meet with the Minister of Environment and Tourism23rd February 2017The members of the Sustainable Develo...
05/06/2017

Council members meet with the Minister of Environment and Tourism
23rd February 2017

The members of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council met with Hon. Pohamba Shifeta on the 23rd February 2017 in line with its function to advise the Minister on environmental issues related to sustainable development.

Hon. Shifeta encouraged the Council members to bring issues to his attention as they considered necessary, while he also pointed out a number of areas in which the Council could be of assistance, particularly regarding the implementation of the Environmental Management Act, which has exposed a number of complexities caused by the cross-sectoral and dynamic nature of environmental issues.

The SDAC Chairperson provided an overview of the Council’s recent activities and priorities and the meeting went on to discuss a range of issues including the shortcomings and challenges in the implementation of the Environmental Management Act as well as other challenges including the management of waste and the unsustainable depletion of natural resources.

SDAC participates in the first meeting of the Open SDG Club 21-23 November 2016The Sustainable Development Advisory Coun...
05/06/2017

SDAC participates in the first meeting of the Open SDG Club

21-23 November 2016

The Sustainable Development Advisory Council represented Namibia in the first meeting of the Open SDG Club, which was held from 21-23rd November 2016 in Berlin Germany.

Coming a year after the adoption of the SDGs, the first meeting of the Open SDG Club, an inititative of the German Advisory Council for Sustainable Development, provided a forum for participants to share their views and experiences about their first steps implementing the 2030 Agenda; the emerging or existing SD governance structures in their countries; the politics of data; multi-stakeholder engagement and communication; the roles played by civil society in the implementation; as well as emerging tools and platforms supporting implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

A second meeting of the Open SDG Club is planned for 2018 with participants continuing to exchange information and actions in the 32 countries in the meantime.

Further information on the Open SDGs Club is available from https://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en/opensdgclub/.

Visit to Namibia of Dr. Gunther Bachmann – Executive Secretary of the German Sustainable Development Advisory Council8 J...
05/06/2017

Visit to Namibia of Dr. Gunther Bachmann – Executive Secretary of the German Sustainable Development Advisory Council
8 July 2016

The Executive Secretary of the German Sustainable Development Advisory Council, Prof. Dr. Guenther Bachmann, visited Namibia from 29th June until 8th July 2016. The visit took place in follow up to the visit of the SD Advisory Council members to Germany in June 2015 and aimed to update each other on developments and to strengthen further partnership and collaboration.

The visit involved a series of meetings and field visits to sites linked to sustainable development at the coast. This included a tour of the Wlotzkasbaken desalination plant and the Walvis Bay Salt Works. Working sessions were also held on Uranium mining in the Erongo Region, the thematic areas and indicators for the second Integrated State of the Environment Report and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management with Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources officials. A dinner was also held with the GIZ Country Director to discuss future collaboration between the two Councils.

Lastly a public lecture was held on the 7th July at the Hilton Hotel. The lecture, held in collaboration with the Environmental Economics Network of Namibia, discussed the approaches to sustainable development in Germany and Namibia as well as possible modalities to implement the sustainable development goals.

National Launch of the Domestication of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 20638 June 2016The Sustainable Deve...
05/06/2017

National Launch of the Domestication of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063
8 June 2016

The Sustainable Development Advisory Council took part in a workshop to launch the domestication of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063 at the Parliament Buildings on 8th June 2016.

As indicated in the title of the workshop, the event marked the beginning of the domestication of the SDGs and African Union Agenda 2063 and also offered the chance to discuss how the 5th National Development Plan would be integrated within these frameworks.

Taking the form of a public dialogue, the event involved representatives from different line ministries, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations and the private sector.

Speaking at the event and noting the experience and expertise of the Council members, the Chairperson of the Council, Dr. Malan Lindeque, highlighted the interest and willingness of the Council to engage and add value to the process to domesticate the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

He further noted the increasing importance being given to environmental issues on the international agenda, emphasizing that at least 8 of the 17 SDGs relate to environmental issues compared to just one of the Millennium Development Goals, which referred to environmental sustainability.

The workshop closed with a debriefing between between staff members of the African Union and local staff engaged in the SDGs and Agenda 2063 domestication process.

Visit to the Rent-A-Drum Recycling Facility2 June 2016In follow up to recommendations from the exchange visit to the Ger...
05/06/2017

Visit to the Rent-A-Drum Recycling Facility

2 June 2016

In follow up to recommendations from the exchange visit to the German Sustainable Development Council, a site visit was undertaken to the Rent-A-Drum facility in Windhoek to gain a better understanding about the workings of the recycling industry in Namibia.

The delegation, lead by Dr. Gabi Scheider, was given a tour of the facility, after which there was a presentation and discussion in the boardroom. The following were the main key outcomes from the discussion:
• For recycling to really take off the ground in Namibia, more support from GRN is required
• More awareness about recycling needs to be created among the general public
• Legislative support is required so that people can be forced to recycle
• Strengthened cooperation and partnership is needed between the private sector and municipalities on the issue of recycling

In follow up to the site visit, the Council is planning a working session on waste management with all interested stakeholders, which will include a dedicated session on the 3 Rs – reduce, re-use and recycle.

Members of the SDAC re-appointed for a second termNovember 3 2015Members of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council...
05/06/2017

Members of the SDAC re-appointed for a second term

November 3 2015

Members of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism signed their re-appointment letters endorsing them to serve for another three years.

Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta announced their re-appointment during a press conference on November 3rd 2015. The Minister praised the members for their performance but outlined that he wanted the council to be more visible and vocal in order to influence the national discourse on sustainable development.

“We need the general public to be aware of the council and for the public and other stakeholders to have a platform to bring issues to the attention of the council and interact with it,” said Shifeta.

The only change in membership was the replacement of Ms. Anna Shiweda, who became a Member of Parliament in March 2015. Ms. Sophie Kasheeta, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry replaced Ms. Shiweda.

SDAC members undertake Fact Finding Mission to Communal Conservancies in the Erongo and Kunene Regions12 October 2015In ...
05/06/2017

SDAC members undertake Fact Finding Mission to Communal Conservancies in the Erongo and Kunene Regions

12 October 2015

In follow up to the presentation given to the SD Advisory Council on the benefits and outlook for sustainability of the Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Programme, the SD Advisory Council members undertook a fact-finding mission to communal conservancies in the Erongo and Kunene Regions from the 9-12th October 2015. The mission was undertaken with the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organizations (NACSO) and staff members from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The main aim of the mission was to assess the impact of the CBNRM Programme on-the-ground and to learn about the challenges and opportunities for enhancing its effectiveness as well as the possibilities for enhancing the sustainability of the Programme. Discussions wee held with eight communal conservancies and a number of concession holders and tour operators active in these conservancies. The fact-finding missions was planned to cover the following areas:

Benefits from sustainable natural resource use
• Joint-venture tourism/tourism concessions (significant employment, income, in-kind benefits)
• Sustainable consumptive use (some employment, income, in-kind benefits)
• Indigenous plant use (income, individual business opportunities)

Conservancy governance
• Game guards/ resource monitoring systems
• Conservancy management (including financial management)
• Community involvement

Challenges/ constraints
• Human-wildlife conflict
• Private sector engagement limitations
• Community capacity limitations
• External pressures, influences and barriers

The mission generated a number of action items and recommendations for the attention of the Minister of Environment and Tourism.

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