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 Regionsactivities upstream from important river mouths. There are also plans underway for a harbour along theKunene Region coast. Mining has left major marks on the environment and continues to threaten keybiodiversity values in protected areas in the absence of adequate zoning and strict regulations. Mostimportantly, failure to develop alternative livelihoods during the mining era leads to poverty now thatthe industry is downscaling, which in turn will lead to people leaning more strongly on natural resourcesbut not necessarily in sustainable ways. Because so much land has been closed to access, developmentand settlement pressure is exceptionally concentrated in and around the coastal townships.All four coastal regions see the tourism sector as a priority area for regional development. While tourismactivities can provide employment and an avenue for involving local communities in the region’seconomy through mainstream as well as Community Based Tourism (CBT), they are also likely to causemigration and increased movement of people through the regions to levels that can pose obstacles toeffective management of natural and cultural resources. Mining areas that have previously been closedto public, such as the Sperrgebiet, are now perceived as potential tourism attractions that will beincreasingly exploited under the new management plan. At the same time, biodiversity hotspots such asthe coastal wetlands and offshore islands that have currently no conservation status may suffer fromuncontrolled developments in the absence of adequate and enforced zoning and environmentalrestrictions.Table 7 identifies some of the major threats each biodiversity hotspot, based on the development trendsidentified in Section 4 and the conservation efforts in place described in Section 3. Possible approachesto address these threats are also analysed in the table and provide indications for potential interventionsand targeted investments to rehabilitate, maintain or improve those biodiversity hotspots.42