Full report LR.pdf - DLIST Benguela

NACOMA Project - Preparation phaseRapid Assessment of the Development Plans, Biodiversity Conservation Projects and Socio-Economic Situation of the Namib Coastal RegionsNamibia and South Africa. BENEFIT is a research programme that aims to promote joint research bythe three countries, while BCLME supports the ecosystem’s joint management.3.1.5. WetlandsVirtually all wetlands in Namibia are under protected 42 and the majority are not incorporated in thecountry’s protected areas network. The coastal wetlands of Walvis Bay and Orange River Mouth, whichhave been declared Ramsar sites, have currently no legal protection status. The declaration of theKunene River Mouth as a Ramsar Site has been investigated but never fully pursued. MET has recentlydrafted “Namibia´s Wetlands Policy” 43 , which has been sent to relevant line ministries for comments.The development of the wetlands policy was one of the activities envisaged in the NBSAP’s ActionPlan for Sustainable Wetland Management.3.2. Plans and projects in the coastal zonePlanning for coastal zone management and biodiversity conservation at the regional and local level hasincluded plans for protected areas, coastal zone management projects and plans for areas with noprotection status yet regarded as key for biodiversity conservation. A number of these plans as well asprojects targeting the coastal area, or the lack thereof, are highlighted in this section. Table 4 at the endof this section summarises the key plans and projects and their relevance to NACOMA.3.2.1. Kunene River MouthThe Kunene River Mouth falls within the proposed Skeleton Coast/Iona Transfrontier Park. The lowerreaches of the Kunene River contain an assemblage of flora, fauna and landscapes generally regarded ashaving high wilderness and conservation values. In the past the declaration of the Kunene River Mouthas a Ramsar Site has been investigated but never fully pursued. Angola is increasingly prepared tocontribute to the protection of this important wetland – it has adopted its National Policy on WetlandManagement and is moving towards becoming a signatory to the Ramsar Convention. The BCLMEProgramme, together with parties from the three BCLME countries, is undertaking collection of data onthe region’s biodiversity 44 .3.2.2. Skeleton Coast National ParkIn the northernmost coastal region of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast National Park extends from the UgabRiver in the south to the Kunene River on the Angolan border. The preparation of a new managementplan for the park is being planned 45 . The Skeleton Coast has been subjected to great controversy aboutits uses. The northern part of the park is leased on a long-term basis to a single tourism license holder.This concession is expiring in December and MET is working on changes to the agreement. A numberof post 1980 mines operated in the park with no environmental safeguards. Ten years after the closureof the Skeleton Coast Mines, the scars remain and new diamond mining activities have been allowed 46 .Mining, off-road driving, recreational angling, private tourism, littering and the excavation of trencheshave left their marks on the environment. A major issue frequently brought up by the Kunene RegionalCouncil is that the park forms a barrier between the people of the Kunene region and the coast, and that42 Barnard, P. (ed). 1998. Biological diversity in Namibia: a country study. Windhoek: Namibian National BiodiversityTask Force, pp 1-332.43 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2004a. Namibia’s Draft Wetlands Policy. April 200444 O’Toole, M., 2004. Personal communication, Windhoek, 7 October 2004.45 Beytell B, 2004. Personal communication, Windhoek, 13 October 2004.46 Molloy, F (ed) and T. Reinikainen (ed). 2003. Namibia’s Marine Environment. Windhoek: DEA EnvironmentInformation Systems Unit; Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia, pp l-162.17