Staff Reporter
THE Governor of the //Kharas Region, Gaob Dawid Casius Gertze, has called on local communities to support government efforts to establish the green hydrogen industry and to share their ideas on how the development process should unfold.
“Communities must put forward their priorities on local participation, youth employment, land use, environmental safeguards, business opportunities, infrastructure needs, and social investment. In that way, development becomes more legitimate, more sustainable, and more beneficial,” Gertze said.
He made these remarks at the Climate Investment Fund Industry Decarbonisation Programme’s Strategic Transformation Investment Plan Stakeholder Engagement Session in Lüderitz.
“Stakeholder engagement promotes inclusivity, alignment with Vision 2030 and NDP6, and the embedding of local content and skills development. That is why meetings such as this one in Lüderitz matter. They help ensure that the voices of communities, traditional leaders, young people, regional leadership, project developers, and public institutions are properly reflected in the national investment pipeline,” the governor said.
He emphasised that the engagement is particularly important for the //Kharas Region, as the region is anticipated to host the country’s largest green hydrogen project, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy.
“We do not want development that arrives in the region as a finished idea, with communities only informed at the end. We want development that listens. We want development that consults. We want development that respects both national ambition and local realities. We want development that protects the environment, respects cultural heritage, creates opportunities for local people, and leaves behind lasting value in the region,” Gertze continued.
He further stressed that the success of the green hydrogen industry will depend largely on whether young people are equipped to participate in it. This, he said, requires investment in local skills, technical training, and clear pathways into employment.
“We are encouraged that the government, with support from development partners, including the German Government, is already investing in training and upskilling Namibians for this emerging sector. I am particularly pleased that 90 students from //Kharas and Hardap are currently enrolled at vocational training centres, with the expectation that, upon completion, they will be able to enter the emerging green industrial and renewable energy economy,” Gertze said.
He therefore called on project developers, state-owned enterprises, and local authorities to maintain open and transparent engagement with communities. The governor also urged communities to continue sharing their expectations and concerns regarding green hydrogen developments, saying public input is essential to shaping the sector’s future.
“Your views matter. Your concerns matter. Your expectations matter. The purpose of stakeholder engagement is not merely to endorse a process. It is to shape it,” Gertze added.
PICTURED: Governor Gaob Dawid Casius Gertze. Photo: Contributed
