Namibia’s Experience on realizing the Importance of Adapting to Climate Change (CC)

1. Namibia’s Experience on realizing the Importance of Adapting to Climate Change(CC) By Fidelis Nyambe Mwazi Technical Advisor

2. 2. Drivers for the Climate change agenda for Namibia. • In consideration of the implications of global climate change and Namibia’s vulnerability to CC, • the Namibian government ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May 1995 and Kyoto protocol in 2003. • As a developing country Namibia is mandated to provide prescribed data in the form of emission inventories and submit periodic national communications to the UNFCCC secretariat.

3. 3. Climate Change Vision for Namibia • Namibia have a National Climate Change Committee chaired by Ministry of Environment & Tourism. • The NCCC was tasked to advise the government with respect to its roles and responsibilities under the Convention as well as to coordinate the overall national climate change program. • Vision: “Namibia strives for excellence to address climate change as a challenge by responding in a timely, effective and appropriate manner via exploring adaptation and mitigation approaches relevant to different sectors at local, regional and national level in order to improve the quality of life of its citizens.” • Was developed taking into account that CC is a cross-cutting issue that will affect both the environment and economic development.

4. 3. Development of the Climate Change Policy and Strategy and Action Plan a) To address the issues of climate change in Namibia a policy was developed to serve as a tool to: • manage climate change response in a way that recognises the national developmental goals and; • promote integration and coordination of programmes of various sector organizations, so that benefits to the country as a whole are maximized, and negative impacts minimized.

5. Continue…Policy and Strategy b) To implement the policy then the strategy and action plan was needed and developed (Draft strategy). • The national strategy will enable Namibia to fulfil her obligations of the UNFCCC framework and hence contribute to addressing this global problem. • This National Climate change Strategy and Action Plan is part of the background activities of Namibia under the Second National Communication to develop a national climate change policy and strategy and accompanying action plan.

6. Why a strategy and action plan: • A need to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation in the medium to long-term national development goals. • Complex nature of causes and effects of climate change requires that we enhance synergies among sectors • Need to strengthen human, institutional and financial capacity to adapt to effects of climate change justifies the need to develop a strategy • Substantial funding required for mitigation and adaptation • A national strategy will constitute an important vehicle to collect and disseminate target-specific climate change adaptation and mitigation actions