Namibia PDNA 2009 - GFDRR

3.4
3.4.1
Cross-Cutting Issues
Environment
Due to low population and development pressure, the natural environment of Namibia
remains generally in good health. It has an important and well-recognized role in the
economy, and the extensive protected areas system alone is estimated to contribute
3-6 percent of GDP, mainly through tourism.
In the areas impacted by the flooding, the floodplains of the northeast remain in a
largely natural condition, although subject to some human modification, and their natural
assets were therefore little affected by the flooding. The oshanas of the north-central
region, however, have been extensively degraded by increasing human and livestock
populations, and are highly vulnerable to further land degradation and soil erosion. Even
in this area, however, the gradual nature of the flooding resulted in very little direct
impact on natural resources, and the greater issue is the potential for exacerbated
resource depletion due to the additional demand created by reconstruction activities.
The environmental damages and losses enumerated here were therefore confined to
(i) some modest impacts on protected areas infrastructure with consequent losses of
gate revenues and exception wildlife management costs, and (ii) small additional waste
disposal costs associated with the clean-up of limited amounts of debris created in the
oshanas.
Figure 30: Arial view of flooding
Sub-sector/
Component
Table 27: Summary of damage and losses in the environment sector
Damage
(N$ million)
Losses
(N$ million)
Damage
(US$ million)
Losses
(US$ million)
Oshikoto
Etosha NP 3.0 0.27 0.4 0.03
Oshana
Waste management 0.0 0.50 0.0 0.06
Kavango
Mahangu WR 5.0 0.15 0.6 0.02
Caprivi
Mamili NP 2.0 0 0.2 0.00
Buffalo feeding 0.0 0.12 0.0 0.01
Total 10.0 1.04 1.2 0.13
Source: Estimations by DaLA Team
In terms of the impact on environmental resources, the flooding is probably beneficial on balance, and the greater threat to the
stressed environment of the oshanas remains from drought and desertification. In the broader environmental narrative, the real issue
is adaptation of the local populations to the ongoing environmental processes to which they are subject. This includes planning and
impact assessment for floodplain development activities, and ensuring proper application of environmental engineering, particularly
drainage standards. These issues are covered in more detail under the general discussion of river basin and flood management in the
Disaster Risk Management section of the report, and in the sectors affected by sub-standard environmental engineering, particularly
transport.
27