WINDHOEK, Dec. 5 — Namibia on Friday launched a review of its current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the development of a new climate plan aimed at strengthening national resilience and addressing the growing impacts of climate change on communities across the country.
Speaking at the inception workshop, Uazamo Kaura, head of Sustainable Environment Management at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Namibia, said climate change is reshaping livelihoods across the country through increased water scarcity, drought, and pressure on health systems, infrastructure, and local economies.
She said the next generation of NDCs must move beyond reporting obligations and focus on practical measures that improve people’s lives, particularly in regions already experiencing severe climate stress.
Rural communities, small-scale farmers, women, and youth face the highest exposure with the least capacity to cope, she said, adding that in many parts of the country, “climate change is not a future scenario, it is a lived experience.
” She said that the review process will assess progress on climate mitigation and adaptation, identify gaps in capacity and finance, strengthen national priorities, and develop realistic pathways for implementation.
The initiative follows the outcome of the COP30 Global Ethical Stocktake in Brazil, which found that global efforts remain insufficient to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal within reach.
According to UNEP, Namibia has an opportunity to align its next NDC with this global call for higher ambition while responding to local development needs.
“Climate action must enable secure access to water, food, energy, and income while supporting a just transition that benefits women, youth, and marginalized groups,” Kaura added.
Namibia is regarded as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Southern Africa, with recurrent droughts and extreme climate variability posing risks to key sectors, including agriculture, water resources, and rural livelihoods. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
