US$20m climate adaptation projects launched

WINDHOEK, Aug. 31 – The Minster of Environment and Tourism (MET) Pohamba Shifeta has launched two climate adaptation action projects worth US$20 million that will be implemented in Namibia over a period of five years.

The projects are financed through the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and  will be administered by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia as a GCF accreditation entity and executed by MET.

“Challenges we are facing for the benefit of our broader population have proved that we can over come anything and its is noteworthy to highlight that Namibia is today counted as one of the world leaders in environmental management and governance. It should be noted that Namibia ratified each of the 3 major United Nations Environmental Conventions on Biological Diversity, desertification and Climate Change soon after independence,” he said.

He added that the Harambee Prosperity Plan also emphasizes the need for increased contribution of renewables to the country’s energy mix and the development of sufficient water reserves to meet Namibia’s developmental needs.

Climate change is recognized as one of the greatest global challenges and Namibia is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects and impacts of climate change.
Climate change has the potential to undermine the country’s economic development particularly the natural resource based sectors of the economy such as agriculture and fisheries sector. – Jonsey Douglass