usaid/nambia environmental threats and opportunities assessment

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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
Figure 9: Mines and mineral deposits in the coastal and marine environment (Source: Mendelsohn in prep) USAID/NAMIBIA ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSESSMENT 47
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USAID/NAMBIA ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS
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USAID/NAMIBIA ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Page 9 and 10: ACRONYMS AALS ART BCLME BMC CBM CBN
Page 11 and 12: NCA NDP NGO NNF NNFU NPC NPP NSF NW
Page 13: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A group of resourc
Page 16 and 17: PURPOSE OF THIS ASSESSMENT This doc
Page 18 and 19: TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY AND TROPIC
Page 20 and 21: Another potential impact is the CO
Page 22 and 23: In addition to the overexploitation
Page 24 and 25: understanding the perspectives of c
Page 26 and 27: C. METHODOLOGY This assessment was
Page 28 and 29: The HIV/AIDS epidemic Natural disas
Page 30 and 31: TOURISM AND WILDLIFE Tourism in Nam
Page 32 and 33: An underlying cause of increasing H
Page 34 and 35: Infant mortality as well as under-f
Page 36 and 37: Figure 3: Levelsels of school enrol
Page 38 and 39: 3. THE LEGISLATIVE AND INSTITUTIONA
Page 40 and 41: land that was previously used only
Page 42 and 43: Overall, land productivity, particu
Page 44 and 45: Marine fisheries are regulated by t
Page 46 and 47: Figure 5: Namibia’s major biomes
Page 48 and 49: espectively of their areas protecte
Page 50 and 51: development of business skills and
Page 52 and 53: Increasing aridification and a grad
Page 54 and 55: THREAT: POORLY PLANNED RESETTLEMENT
Page 56 and 57: Nine of the 15 southern African bre
Page 58 and 59: Figure 8: Main fishinging areas and
Page 62 and 63: Deep-sea mining and diamond dredgin
Page 64 and 65: Increases in frequency and intensit
Page 66 and 67: Catchment issues (mainly pollution
Page 68 and 69: Figure 11. Surface and groundwater
Page 70 and 71: small irrigation projects. Wetlands
Page 72 and 73: Local Authorities (also in MRLGHRD)
Page 74 and 75: MAJOR THREAT 6. CLIMATE CHANGE Base
Page 76 and 77: fenced off informally and illegally
Page 78 and 79: Figure15: Average carrying capacity
Page 80 and 81: VALUE OF RANGELAND PRODUCTS Livesto
Page 82 and 83: MAJOR THREAT 5. BUSH ENCROACHMENT I
Page 84 and 85: Figure 17. Distribution of forests
Page 86 and 87: inadequate. About 50 species of pla
Page 88 and 89: Threats Population growth and pover
Page 90 and 91: 5. CONCLUSIONS Despite some shortfa
Page 92 and 93: Focus in the northwest should be on
Page 94 and 95: RECOMMENDATION: LAND-USE ZONATION E
Page 96 and 97: RECOMMENDATION: DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE
Page 98 and 99: Water and Forestry Debra Mosel Assi
Page 100 and 101: actions meet those needs. By mandat
Page 102 and 103: training led to an 8 percent averag
Page 104 and 105: pollution) to which they and humans
Page 106 and 107: Illustrative Outline: a) Introducti
Page 108 and 109: 9. SELECTED REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Page 110 and 111:
AR4 spatial pattern that suggests m
Page 112 and 113:
The findings by Turpie et al 2010 c
Page 114 and 115:
Increasing human-wildlife conflict.
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Batty M, Tjipute M, Sowman M, Cardo
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Cury, P., & Roy, C. 1989. Optimal e
Page 120 and 121:
Hulme, M. (Ed.). 1996. Climate chan
Page 122 and 123:
Namibian National Biodiversity Prog
Page 124 and 125:
Resources in Southern Africa: Studi
Page 128:
U.S. Agency for International Devel
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