Shifeta advocates for soil restoration amid national drought crisis

Staff Reporter

THE Environment Minister, Pohamba Shifeta, advocated for the importance of soil restoration and rehabilitation, emphasising that healthy soils can store water and serve as a buffer during droughts.

“Healthy soils can store water that functions as a buffer in times of drought, while human-induced land degradation such as overgrazing and deforestation reduces the capacity of the soil to hold water, amplifies water scarcity, and increases the vulnerability of communities and animals to droughts. Therefore, enhancing soil health through the restoration or rehabilitation of our degraded dry broadleaf forests and savannas can create better resiliency to drought,” Shifeta explained.

The minister said this at the National Integrated Landscape Management Conference, taking place in Windhoek. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in collaboration with the International University of Management (IUM).

The conference aims to foster dialogue among key stakeholders in landscape management, including policymakers, environmentalists, and researchers. It also focused on exploring holistic approaches that integrate land use planning, agricultural practices, and natural resource management.

According to Shifeta, the conference is timely, as President Nangolo Mbumba declared the country’s drought situation a National State of Emergency. He highlighted that the drought has affected all regions, impacting a total of 1.4 million people.

“This saddening situation indeed calls for us all to re-think, strategise and act. It is through platforms and forums such as this where meaningful solutions can be derived as we continue to engage with diverse experts. I therefore have no doubt that the outcome of this conference will pave the way in shaping the future for Namibia as we strive to tackle these environmental challenges together,” Shifeta said.