Namibia drives to halt, reverse the trends in land degradation and desertification
The government on Tuesday endorsed a National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) in the country at a workshop held in Windhoek.
The GGWI is a regional attempt in Africa to focus on addressing desertification more coherently and inclusively, while the NAP, is a significant step towards kickstarting the initiative, with the assistance of Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), an independent consultant, and the Great Green Wall Coordinator, a core team comprising SADC, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and experts from the African Union.
“This technical cooperation is part of a broader collaboration between FAO’s Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa and the SADC Secretariat, and aims to support and coordinate the implementation and out scaling of the GGWI activities in the Southern Africa region,” Assistant FAO Representative Namibia, Ferdinard Mwapopi, said at the event.
According to Mwapopi, FAO is committed to supporting the GGWI at both the continental and sub-regional levels and FAO commended Namibia’s government for their remarkable dedication.
“Our invaluable collaboration with the Namibian government will drive greater achievements in implementing the GGWI. These ongoing initiatives, combined with SADC’s efforts, will bolster the overall impact of the Great Green Wall,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government through the MEFT said it is committed to following up on the recommendations from the workshop and working as a task force to finalize the document according to relevant suggestions and organize later an official launch of the NAP.
“We are expecting also partners and their expertise to finalize the work. We hope also that all stakeholders present here today will be part of the implementers of the NAP,” said MEFT Executive Director, Teofilus Nghitila.
The FAO has already made substantial contributions, including the support and coordination of continental-scale data collection in collaboration with the AU and the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PA-GGW) as well as actively supporting the Dryland Sustainable Landscape Impact Programme, which operates in several countries, including Namibia.
