2nd October, 2019
Namibia is currently experiencing the worst drought in 90 years and is finding ways to deal with climate change and stimulate agriculture in the future, Speaker of Parliament Peter Katjavivi on Wednesday said.
He said this while addressing parliamentarians and Non Governmental organisations on the current state of sustainable natural resource management in Namibia meant to find ways of unlocking a bioeconomy potential.
Katjavivi said for more than two years, the Namibia economy is also severely affected by an economic downturn.
He added that there was a need to find ways to deal with natural calamities as more than 60 percent of the population in Namibia depend directly or indirectly on agriculture, forestry as well as a freshwater fishery to maintain their livelihoods.
“An increasing population relying on natural resources in the northern communal areas has caused many environmental challenges, which interact also with each other”.
“Some of the impacts of land degradation include a reduction in agricultural productivity, reduction in water quality and quantity, as well as soil erosion and increased flooding. The degradation of land is caused by both natural as well as human-induced factors.,’’ he said.
Katjavivi said given these challenges, the concept of sustainable management of natural resources appeals to most or all of us as a country.