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The Honourable Minister of Environment and Tourism
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah |
Mission Statement
The mission of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is to maintain and rehabilitate essential ecological processes and life-supported life-support systems, to conserve biological diversity and to ensure that the utilization of natural resources is sustainable for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future, as well as the international community, as provided for in the Constitution.
Bold Beginnings
At Independence in 1990, the new Government of the Republic of Namibia
recognised the importance of the environment, by including the protection of natural resources in its Constitution. Namibia has one of the few constitutions in the world with specific sections aimed at safeguarding the environment.
Chapter 11 Principles of State Policy
Article 95 Promotion of the Welfare of the People
The state shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting, inter alia, polices aimed at the following:
1) maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future; in particular, the Government shall provide measures against the dumping or recycling of foreign nuclear and toxic waste on Namibian territory.
In 1992, Cabinet gave responsibility for the environment to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, transforming it from a law enforcement agency into an agency that protects natural resources, cares for People and meets the obligations of international conventions.
Mandate
Through policies, legislation, smart partnerships and innovative action, the MET addresses specific environmental and wildlife management issues, rural development, tourism development and poverty reduction.
To achieve its mission statement, the Ministry has defined its mandate into objectives that can be translated into policies, which in turn, can be implemented through environmental plans. These include the following objectives:
- To conserve the natural environment in Namibia;
- To protect biological diversity and life support systems, in partnership with other ministries, organizations and individuals;
- To expand, develop, manage and control the country’s conservation areas;
- To manage and coordinate natural resources and to encourage the development of appropriate wildlife- and forestry- based industries;
- To foster the sustainable use of all living resources, in partnership with other ministries, organizations and individuals;
- To conserve wilderness, and to protect the character and beauty of Namibia;
- To initiate and/or participate in all land-use planning with regard to natural resources and the preparation, implementation and management of community-based conservation and development programmes;
- To initiate and/or participate in the development of the natural resource-base and methods of utilization so that people obtain the maximum sustainable benefits;
- To apply appropriate environmental, social and economic assessment procedures to development proposals, plans and projects;
- To develop, coordinate and promote tourism on a sustainable basis, both within proclaimed conservation areas and in the country as a whole, in partnership with other organizations;
- To control standards on environmental pollution;
- To conduct and promote environmental education, extension and awareness programmes, in partnership with other ministries and organizations;
- To conduct and promote research, monitoring and evaluations, and the coordination of these activities, in support of the above objectives, as well as the communication of results at local, national and international levels;
- To develop, apply and evaluate environmental policies, plans an legislation so as to allow this Ministry to achieve the above objectives; and
- To create and maintain an environment where every employee is able to reach his or her maximum potential in a climate, favoring innovation and excellence.