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Trade and Climate Change - How does it Affect Namibia?

Trade and Climate Change - How does it Affect Namibia?. Nampower Convention Centre, Windhoek 27 th September 2011. Dr Justine Braby Mr Laudika J. Kandjinga Integrated Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Namibia will get hotter!.

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Trade and Climate Change - How does it Affect Namibia?

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  1. Trade and Climate Change - How does it Affect Namibia? Nampower Convention Centre, Windhoek 27th September 2011 Dr Justine Braby Mr Laudika J. Kandjinga Integrated Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN)

  2. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

  3. Namibia will get hotter! Heavy rainfall leading to flooding, - possible droughts in some areas Sea-level rise DRFN and Climate Systems Analysis Group. 2008. The Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment. Prepared for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

  4. Agriculture likely to be most affected. Agriculture and food security, human health, ecosystem changes affect sectors like trade! Why is Namibia vulnerable?

  5. Namibia’s Trade and economy profile • Trade is a key factor in Namibia’s economic development (small domestic market & composition of economic activities). • Heavily liberalized & trade-dependent country • Exports • Imports • Economy highly vulnerable to world market price fluctuations • Signatory to Major Trade Agreements • climate change & adaptation not mentioned

  6. Linkages between Climate Change, Agriculture & Trade • Supply side of agriculture – productivity, yields, availability of arable/fertile land and water • Floods & droughts will stress agricultural systems • Shift in agriculture comparative advantages • Reduce productivity & animal health issues (poor rangeland productivity). • Increase in food price, reduce demand for food • Trade directly impacts on emission of (GHG) –fossil fuel in transportation

  7. Climate Change Impacts on Trade • Damages to the Infrastructure (Sea level rise & erosion, inland flooding) • Walvis Bay Corridor (dry port) & Harbour, Road - access to & from landlocked Southern African countries • Creation of new trade routes • Other critical trade related infrastructure e.g. markets –infrastructures • Severe impacts on the trade flows (trade facilitation) and economic impacts – cost of rehabilitation • Disruptions to the supply, transport and distribution chains would raise the costs of undertaking trade.

  8. Concluding remarks & take home messages • The most serious effects of variations in climate seen thus far in trade Namibia are as a result of flooding, and rainfall related . • Trade and industry are largely dependent on raw materials, should they become depleted as a result of climate change, will have direct impact on their viability. • Trade can have both positive & negative effects for climate change – impacts not exactly known • Adaptation strategies need to be designed today to deal with impending climate impacts on agriculture • Let us not lose time in our fight against climate change. Let us put trade to the service of the international climate agenda

  9. Trade barriers • Regional liberalization • Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures of WTO, EU: • production & hygiene requirements of potential market • Strict Standards, testing and certification Are they primarily shaped by the developed countries to suit their economic and other conditions? • Historical legacy: Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

  10. Trade barriers cont’ • Eco-labels and Eco-certification • Lack of economic incentives for local industries to adopt certification schemes & green labeling. • Lack of institutional support to help certified producers to access niche markets. • Tariff escalation in various markets (mainly in agricultural commodities) hinders export growth & diversification; • Non-tariff barriers to trade • Lack of markets or not having access to markets reduces farmer’s ability to trade, denied access to market

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