Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Environment and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has called for a proactive approach to climate funding and the management of natural disasters affecting Namibia.
The minister made these remarks at the Environmental Stewardship and Disaster Resilience inter-stakeholder engagement, which aims to strengthen Namibia’s capacity to prevent, respond to and recover from environmental shocks and disasters through inclusive and sustainable approaches.
The conference follows last year’s devastating wildfire that ravaged one of the country’s most pristine national parks, Etosha National Park, racing through grasslands and turning one of Africa’s largest conservation areas into a blackened vista.
In her statement, the environment minister noted that Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“More than 80% of our land is arid or semi-arid, and rainfall variability is among the highest in the region. Average temperatures have already risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius — more than twice the global average. The consequences are severe. The 2023–2024 droughts, the worst in over a century, caused sharp declines in crop production, reduced dam levels by more than 70%, and left over one million Namibians food insecure,” Daniel said.
She added that agriculture, which supports nearly 70% of the population, remains acutely vulnerable.
“Flooding displaces families, damages infrastructure and erodes livelihoods. Wildfires are escalating, threatening biodiversity, communal lands, tourism assets and rural livelihoods. These are not isolated events, but systemic risks amplified by climate change. The economic costs are staggering. Annual losses from drought alone amount to billions of dollars. These losses slow growth, increase unemployment and widen inequality, particularly in rural areas and among minority communities. Food insecurity has risen sharply, reversing hard-won development gains. For many households, climate shocks mean not only lost harvests, but reduced access to education, health services and opportunity. Climate resilience is inseparable from poverty reduction, social protection and national stability,” Daniel said.
Despite these challenges, she noted that Namibia has not stood still, having implemented a wide range of policies such as Vision 2030 and the Sixth National Development Plan, which calls for a prosperous, industrialised and environmentally sustainable nation that creates opportunities for its people.
“Namibia remains a net carbon sink, with substantial increases in land-based carbon removals since 1990. Our updated climate commitments set ambitious targets for emissions reductions and removals by 2030, while placing adaptation at the centre of our national strategy. Namibia’s greatest asset is its people — innovative, resilient and deeply connected to the land. Our ecosystem mapping has identified more than 200 distinct ecosystem types across Namibia, reflecting the country’s extraordinary ecological diversity. Protecting these ecosystems is essential, not only for biodiversity but also for the livelihoods and cultural heritage they sustain,” the minister said.
She added that while the government continues to invest in early warning systems, drought relief and water security, reactive responses alone are not enough.
“Our focus must shift towards proactive investment, strengthening infrastructure, ecosystems and institutions before disasters strike. Every dollar invested in prevention saves many more in recovery. Climate finance is critical, and Namibia has mobilised substantial resources from partners and is preparing major funding proposals targeting agriculture, water security and clean energy. At the same time, we must expand private-sector participation and innovative financing to meet the scale of the challenge,” Daniel concluded.
She called on government institutions, the private sector, civil society, traditional authorities, youth and international partners to join in this mission.
“Let us scale up climate finance, accelerate adaptation and ensure that every Namibian — in urban and rural areas alike — faces the future with confidence.”
