usaid/nambia environmental threats and opportunities assessment

MAJOR THREAT 2. ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE MINING
The diamond mining industry has been active in Namibia for just over 100 years. Since the mid-1990s
the main thrust of diamond mining operations has moved from the land into coastal waters and beyond,
into deep sea areas. Offshore concessions extend the full length of the Namibian coastline, from the
Orange River in the south to the Kunene River in the north.
The desert and coastal parks are littered with abandoned mines, some dating back to early 1900s. Figure
9 depicts current (2010) mining activities along Namibia’s coast. However, it should be noted that there
are a large number of Exclusive Prospecting Licences (EPLs) that have recently been awarded in both
the marine and coastal environments – including within national Parks (Peter Tarr, SAIEA, pers. Comm.).
The uranium rush will likely result in at least six large uranium mines by 2020. As many as 11 large mines
will be established if the uranium price and demand increase significantly within the next few years
(SAIEA, 2010).
Smith (2006) reports that the cumulative effects (over time and space) of individual on-shore, near-shore,
and sub-tidal mining activities (specifically pertaining to diamonds) within the BCLME may be severe.
Impacts include:
The discharge of tailings of several million tons of sediments at some sites (e.g. Elizabeth Bay
and Oranjemund). 18
The construction of large seawalls to prevent flooding. These are constantly eroded and require
continual replenishment with large volumes of sand.
Both seawall construction and tailings discharges contribute heavily to alteration of sub-tidal and
inter-tidal habitats as a result of: smothering by on the sea-bed, increased turbidity causing
reduced sunlight penetration and reduced growth of marine vegetation, decreased efficiency of
filter feeders, clogging of fish gills, and other effects.
Sub-tidal mining occurs up to 3 km offshore and causes damage to important offshore
ecosystems (particularly kelp beds) and negatively impacts upon rock lobster populations.
Long-term diamond mining activity has been responsible for a dramatic reduction in shorebird
biodiversity and density (from 220 birds/km to 41 birds/km) (Simmons (2005).
Threats posed by nearshore coastal diamond mining in Namibia will increase as terrestrial diamond sources
become depleted and operators increasingly target the marine deposits.
18 In Namibia, the policy is to discharge tailings directly into the marine environment. It is estimated that mining operations in
the vicinity of the Orange River were responsible for approximately 404 million tons of sediment input to the coastline
between 1968 and 2005 (Smith 2006). This volume is of the same order of magnitude as that discharged naturally by the
Orange River over the same period.
46 USAID/NAMIBIA ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSESSMENT