Namibians urged to stand against illicit activities that harm the environment
Namibians have been urged to stand against illicit activities that have the potential to harm the country’s environment, officials said.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in a joint statement called upon all Namibians to reflect on their relationship with the natural environment as the country joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Environment Day.
This year’s World Environment Day is being commemorated under the theme “Time for nature” and is celebrated around the world annually on 05 June.
The Ministry and the UNDP said biodiversity is especially significant to Namibia with about 70% of people depending on natural resources based productive systems for survival.
“Even though many livelihoods depend on the environment, more needs to be done to safeguard and foster its ability to sustain livelihoods,” they said.
According to the two, poaching is one of the biggest threats to the country’s natural environment as it threatens the population of our iconic wildlife species such as elephants and rhinos.
“Deforestation and the illegal harvesting of timber and other forest resources have become so common in recent years, that the health of our precious woodland ecosystems is now under threat,” they added, citing that littering, pollution, habitat destruction also contribute to the destruction of the environment.
Ahead of the commemoration, Namibians are being called to rethink the way they interact with the natural environment by being conscious of the negative impact the actions may have on the environment.
“All citizens of this country are encouraged to plant more trees, use water and electricity sparingly, walk or cycle rather than drive short distances, dispose of waste responsibly and practice recycling among other crucial actions that can be taken,” they added.
Meanwhile, the two said they will continue to encourage the conservation of the natural resources and promote the sustainable use of these resources for the benefit of all as provided for in the constitution and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.