What's New?
A listing of projects for which public comments are currently invited can be found on the ECC Portal of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (http://eia.met.gov.na), as well as information on the Environmental Clearance process, EIA procedures, downloadable files etc.
All projects - including those that were previously listed on the ECC Portal but have been removed - can be accessed on the eLibrary of the EIS.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism launches online Environmental Clearance service
The Department of Environmental Affairs in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism recently launched http://www.eia.met.gov.na - "Your Gateway to Environmental Clearance" - an online service which allows members of the public to apply for or renew an Environmental Clearance Certificate and to track its status, as well as to report environmental non-compliance.
The site also provides a lot of information on the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) process, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAP), including downloadable files containing legislation, application forms and screening questionnaires.
The sand mining industry in Namibia - are we burying our heads in the sand?
The sand mining industry in Namibia currently has its frustrations, both from the perspective of the developers and the regulators. The Environmental Assessment Professionals Association of Namibia (EAPAN) gave a talk and discussion on this topic at the Namibia Scientific Society, focussing on the current challenges and possible solutions. Here is a link to NBC's coverage of the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE_qqRd0eo0
National Policy on Prospecting and Mining in Protected Areas
Namibia’s Cabinet has recently approved the National Policy on Prospecting and Mining in Protected Areas. This is an important achievement because, prior to this, there were no “no-go” areas in Namibia for prospecting and mining. Please look at Annexes 2-4 to get an overview of the no-go parks and the no-go areas within other parks. We warmly congratulate the two Ministries of Environment & Tourism and Mines & Energy, and Hon Members of Cabinet, for this very significant and progressive policy.
With this in place, we need to start thinking more broadly about other high-priority areas which don’t fall under the Ministry of Environment & Tourism, which would also quality as no-go areas for prospecting and mining. Please see Section 6.1 (starting on page 22) which outlines the characteristics of areas that may qualify for exclusion from prospecting and mining. Areas which immediately come to mind are the offshore islands in the Marine Protected Area which support globally important breeding populations of seabirds, some sinkholes in the Karst system that have endemic fish species, the string of islands in the Okavango River near Andara that support the only true “forest” in Namibia and chief’s burial grounds, Nyae-Nyae pans in Bushmanland, etc.
Land Rehabilitation Society of Southern Africa (LaRSSA) 6th Annual Conference
The countdown to the Land Rehabilitation Society of Southern Africa (LaRSSA) 6th annual conference has begun! Here is some more information further to our earlier communication.
The conference (13-16 August 2018), will be filled with exciting and innovative activities. The pre-conference workshop is aiming to provide substantial exposure to conservation agriculture which will include a site visit to a farm in the area. The workshop will be facilitated by Wayne Truter, Erna Kruger and Leana Nel. Our annual networking meet & greet will be hosted at the Drakensberg Brewery and will include sipping on a variety of craft beer samples. The two days of conference will feature international, local and celebrity keynote and plenary speakers such as, Hugh Pringle, Nick Booth, Dave Pepler, Tanya Smith, Georgina Avlonitis and Nicolette Forbes. We are excited to launch the "Jones & Wagener - LaRSSA Rehabilitation Library" - the first of its kind in Southern Africa! LaRSSA will be introducing another inspiring initiative - the "Luhlaza Award" for extraordinary contributions within the field of land rehabilitation. This year we will be honouring Dr Faan van Wyk with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The ultimate finale will be the two post-conference tours - "Working for Water" and "Rehabilitating Dongas" in the Okhombe and Mnweni Valley areas respectively. The conference will also be SAICE and SACNASP CPD accredited.
Please find attached our conference programme, cost summary and more information on our keynote and plenary speakers.
To register, please visit www.larssa.co.za or contact Theresa at admin@larssa.co.za or 0814846833.
Sincerely hoping to see you there!
Piet Smit
Input requested into the Review of draft amendment to the Environmental Management Act
As you may be aware, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is currently reviewing the Environmental Management Act (Act No. 7 of 2007), the draft revised Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and draft new Strategic Environmental Assessment regulations.
Further input is requested, by the 15th of March, particularly into the "List of activities", namely projects that may not proceed without and Environmental Clearance Certificate. Please see the letter below for full details.
- Environmental Management Act review letter » download letter
- List of Category A Project Activities that Cannot be Undertaken Without Environmental Clearance Certificate » download file
