News | Energy Efficiency

http://www.namibian.com.na/news/environment/full-story/archive/2010/october/article/climate-change-is-with-us-walvis-mayor/

THERE is growing evidence of the impacts of climate change on Namibia’s coastline, the mayor of Walvis Bay said this week.

Uilika Nambahu said just recently, abnormally high tides and stormy seas destroyed the Bird Island wooden guano platform, while Donkey Island is being breached time and again.
She was speaking at a two-day workshop on reporting on climate change for local journalists held at Walvis Bay from October 18 to 19.
Nambahu said some people mistakenly believe that climate change is not an African problem but an issue for the developed world.
“But it is our problem too because Africa is being hit the hardest by global warming, droughts, flooding, food shortages and diseases such as HIV-AIDS,” she said.
Namibia called on journalists to find the best way of creating public awareness of the problem of climate change and how it can be addressed, as well on the importance of protecting biodiversity and ecosystems because the economy depends on these.
Namibia is one of the countries that are vulnerable to climate change due to factors such as its dry climate, over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture and a fragile environment.
Due to climate change, Namibia’s coastal economy could be destroyed due to rising sea levels.
Globally, climate change is estimated to have already caused the death of 300 000 people, according to the Global Humanitarian Forum.
The 16th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC – to which Namibia is a party, will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10.
At the workshop that was facilitated by freelance journalist Servaas van den Bosch, the deputy director of environmental affairs in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Christine Mukumba, gave participants a background on climate change science as well as climate change negotiations at the local, SADC, African and global levels.
Johnson Ndokosho of the Africa Adaptation Project Namibia gave a historical assessment of climate change negotiations and progress made in Namibia on key issues to address climate change.
Rod Braby of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (Nacoma) project gave a talk on climate change impact on coastal areas while workshop facilitator Van den Bosch spoke on tools and techniques for media communication.
Martha Mwandingi of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia gave an overview of the UNFCCC while freelance journalist Francis Mukuzunga showed a documentary looking at whether the Namibia media are doing enough on climate change reporting.
The workshop was initiated and funded by the UNDP and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.