NAMIBIA INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION

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NAMIBIA INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION

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• Presented to the UNFCCC at
• COP 8
• by
• Joseph McGann

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Ministry of Environment and TourismREPUBLIC OF
NAMIBIA
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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Physical Geography
• Arid country on Atlantic coast of southern Africa
• Borders South Africa,Botswana, Angola and Zambia
• Total area 824,268 sq. km.
• Altitude sea level to2,606 m.

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Physical Geography
• Annual average rainfall range 25 mm in southwest
  to 700 mm in north east
• Mainly in summer
• Vegetation type - woodland, savannah and low
  growth forest limited by rainfall
• Landscape mainly desert (Kalahari and Namib) and
  exposed bedrock

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Demography
• Estimated population 1.9 million (2001)
• Population growth rate 2.6 (2001)
• Females - 51.3
• Life expectancy 43 years (HIV factor)
• Population density 2 persons per square
  kilometer
• At least thirteen distinct ethnic groups

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Economy
• Lower middle income
• GDP growth av. 4.1 (1994 2000)
• GDP per capita N8,300
• Government, mining, manufacturing and agriculture
  are major components of GDP
• Highly skewed income distribution
• Unemployment - 35

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Land Use
• Approximately 70 of population practice
  subsistence farming on approximately 41 of the
  land (State owned communal areas)
• Less than 1 of population own 44 of the land as
  commercial farms
• Approximately 2 of land is used for mining
• Approximately 14 in protected or conservation
  areas

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Mineral Resources
• Mineral resources include uranium, copper, gold,
  diamonds, zinc and off-shore natural gas
• Mining contributes 13 of GDP (2000)

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Water Resources
• Water scarcity is severe limitation to
  development
• Mainly ephemeral rivers
• Perennial rivers are at northern and southern
  borders
• Wetlands and other water bodies tend to be
  temporary

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Agriculture
• Mainly livestock production and dry-land crop
  production (commercial)
• Subsistence farming maize, pearl millet,
  sorghum, small livestock and fruit
• GDP contribution - 5 (2000)
• Irrigated crop
• Wetlands and other water bodies tend to be
  temporary

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NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Fisheries
• Based on exploitation of cold Benguela Current
• Depleted stocks due to uncontrolled
  pre-independence fishing
• GDP contribution - 5 (2000)
• More than 80 catch is exported
• Aquaculture being developed

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GHG INVENTORY

• In a nutshell
• Insignificant contribution to global GHG
  emissions
• Estimated to be net sink but degree is uncertain
  (due to bush encroachment)
• Total CO2 emission equivalent is 5,614 Gg
• Uptake (sink) is 5,716 Gg CO2 equivalent

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IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY

• Predicted Impacts (global IS92a scenario)
• Sea level 30 to 100 cm rise by 2100
• Warming of Benguela current could impact
  negatively on stocks
• Evaporation - will rise by 5 per degree of
  warming even with unchanged rainfall

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IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY

• Predicted Impacts
• (Based on global IS92a scenario)
• CO2 Emissions - will triple by 2100
• Temperature - mean annual and monthly maximum and
  minimum temperatures will increase by 2 to 6 C
• Rainfall - highly uncertain but range from
  increase of 30 mm to decrease of 200 mm below
  current annual average

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IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY

• Vulnerability
• Water - most vulnerable. Absolute water scarcity
  by 2020 without CC
• Agriculture stock losses and reduced crop yield
  due to drought. Food supply/security vulnerable
• Fisheries/marine changes in ocean current
  (Benguela) could affect upwelling and marine
  resources

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IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITY

• Vulnerability
• Biodiversity/ecosystems - endemic species most
  vulnerable if ecosystem boundaries shift. Local
  species could be lost
• Health increase in malaria, respiratory
  infections, diarrhoea and other waterborne
  diseases. Predicted changes could extend area of
  malaria infection. Drought increases risk of
  shortage of clean drinking water

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POLICIES AND MEASURES

• RATIFIED THE UNFCCC 5/1995
• ACCEDED TO CONVENTION 8/1995
• PARTY TO RIO AND OTHER ENVIRONMENT CONVENTIONS
• POLICIES IN PLACE TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT

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POLICIES AND MEASURES

• ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED IN 1997
• COUNTRY STUDY COMPLETED IN 1999
• NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED
  3/2001
• COORDINATOR APPOINTED 10/2001 TO OVERSEE INC
  PREPARATION

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RESEARCH SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATIONS

• CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL OBSERVATIONS
• REGULAR DATA COLLECTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL
  PARAMETERS
• PARTICIPATES IN REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CLIMATE
  CHANGE RESEARCH
• ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATIONS AND MONITORING
  NETWORKS ESTABLISHED

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PUBLIC AWARENESS AND TRAINING

• PUBLIC AWARENESS/ENVIORNMENTAL AWARENESS PROGRAMS
  (Govt./NGOs)
• PUBLIC EDUCATION INITIATIVES UNDERWAY
• ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND DATA COLLECTION
  UNIT IN MET
• FORMAL AND INFORMAL TRAINING OF STAFF IN GOVT.,
  COMMUNITIES AND NGOs

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FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS

• VERY VULNERABLE WITH INADEQUATE FINANCIAL AND
  TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR ADAPTATION
• AS NON-ANNEX 1 PARTY NAMIBIA IS ELIGIBLE FOR
  SUPPORT TO MEET OBLIGATIONS UNDER CONVENTION

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FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS

• ESTABLISH CLIMATE CHANGE OFFICE
• Support for focal point/capacity building
• Coordinate data and information collection
• Data distribution and public awareness
  inventories
• Coordination with other conventions
• DEVELOP STRATEGY ACTION PLAN
• Policy development and integration in national
  development
• Strategy and action plan for national program
  implementation

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FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS

• RESEARCH AND MODELING TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY
• Future climate trends
• Improved observation systems
• Agricultural production models
• Carbon balance in land use and bush encroachment
  changes
• Dynamics of Benguela current ecosystem

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FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS

• ADAPTATION PROJECTS IN HEALTH, AGRICULTURE,
  COASTAL AND WATER MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
• Malaria control programs
• Improved cropping/farming systems
• Drought tolerant varieties testing
• Development/use of heat resistant livestock
  breeds
• Protection against sea level rise
• Ecosystem management

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FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS

• MITIGATION PROJECTS IN ENERGY AND FORESTRY
• Use of gas-fired power generation
• Efficient lighting and use of solar and other
  alternate energy sources
• Improved cooking stoves and reduction of charcoal
  use
• Expansion of rail network infrastructure
• Appropriate aforestation or re-forestation
• Agro-forestry

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CONCLUSIONS

• Contribution to global GHG is negligible
• Arid country with high reliance on natural
  resources, agriculture and tourism
• Highly vulnerable with little capacity for
  adaptation
• Party to Convention but requires support for full
  participation