Coastal park management plans launched
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
Park management plans have been launched for the Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib-Naukluft national parks in the Erongo Region.
At the same event, which was held at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the ground-breaking ceremony took place for infrastructural development at the different parks.
Speaking at the event, tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said these management plans set out the vision, objectives and guidelines for the management and development of the parks for the next ten years.
“As such, the plans represent the policies and intentions of the ministry and provides for mechanisms to strengthen collaboration with user groups of the parks and other stakeholders.”
Tourism concessions
He said the management plans also make provision for tourism development and management. It is in this section where new tourism concessions are identified.
“Where we have such new concessions, the award process will be done in the year 2022 so that the parks continue to contribute to economic development and improved livelihood of the communities.”
Shifeta said the coastal parks of Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib-Naukluft are part of what has become one of the longest protected coastlines in the world, stretching from the Iona National Park in south-western Angola bordering the Skeleton Coast Park to the Ramsar Site at the Orange River.
“With signing of the agreement for establishment of the Iona-Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Park between Namibia and Angola, there was an opportunity to establish a much larger Transfrontier Conservation Area that spans three countries of Namibia, Angola and South Africa along the Namib coast.”
Shifeta explained that the Namibia National Parks Programme is a development programme executed by the ministry and co-financed by Germany through the German ministry for economic cooperation and development via KfW development bank.
Earlier phases of the programme centred on Namibia’s north-eastern national parks of Nkasa Rupara, Mudumu, Bwabwata and Khaudum, as well as on the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park in the south-west of the country.
“NamParks 5, which is the current phase, covers the four Namibian coastal parks that comprise of the Skeleton Coast Park, the Dorob National Park with Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the Namib-Naukluft Park as well as the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park,” said Shifeta.
Linkages
Shifeta said these coastal parks, with their linkage with the transfrontier conservation areas in the north with Angola and in the south with South Africa, and further linkages with numerous concessions, conservancies and private conservation areas, offer exceptional conservation and tourism opportunities.
The parks are managed for wildlife, biodiversity conservation and tourism for economic development of the country and improved livelihoods of the people.
Shifeta said the infrastructure development will take place at Cape Cross, Ugabmund, Springbokwasser and Möwe Bay in the Skeleton Coast Park; as well as Sesriem and Gobabeb in the Namib-Naukluft Park.
New infrastructure will include new park entrance gates and signage walls, new offices, tourism receptions, vehicle garages and maintenance workshops, staff houses, service building with equipment stores, service pits and wash bays, and ablution blocks.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Park management plans have been launched for the Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib-Naukluft national parks in the Erongo Region.
At the same event, which was held at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the ground-breaking ceremony took place for infrastructural development at the different parks.
Speaking at the event, tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said these management plans set out the vision, objectives and guidelines for the management and development of the parks for the next ten years.
“As such, the plans represent the policies and intentions of the ministry and provides for mechanisms to strengthen collaboration with user groups of the parks and other stakeholders.”
Tourism concessions
He said the management plans also make provision for tourism development and management. It is in this section where new tourism concessions are identified.
“Where we have such new concessions, the award process will be done in the year 2022 so that the parks continue to contribute to economic development and improved livelihood of the communities.”
Shifeta said the coastal parks of Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib-Naukluft are part of what has become one of the longest protected coastlines in the world, stretching from the Iona National Park in south-western Angola bordering the Skeleton Coast Park to the Ramsar Site at the Orange River.
“With signing of the agreement for establishment of the Iona-Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Park between Namibia and Angola, there was an opportunity to establish a much larger Transfrontier Conservation Area that spans three countries of Namibia, Angola and South Africa along the Namib coast.”
Shifeta explained that the Namibia National Parks Programme is a development programme executed by the ministry and co-financed by Germany through the German ministry for economic cooperation and development via KfW development bank.
Earlier phases of the programme centred on Namibia’s north-eastern national parks of Nkasa Rupara, Mudumu, Bwabwata and Khaudum, as well as on the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park in the south-west of the country.
“NamParks 5, which is the current phase, covers the four Namibian coastal parks that comprise of the Skeleton Coast Park, the Dorob National Park with Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the Namib-Naukluft Park as well as the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park,” said Shifeta.
Linkages
Shifeta said these coastal parks, with their linkage with the transfrontier conservation areas in the north with Angola and in the south with South Africa, and further linkages with numerous concessions, conservancies and private conservation areas, offer exceptional conservation and tourism opportunities.
The parks are managed for wildlife, biodiversity conservation and tourism for economic development of the country and improved livelihoods of the people.
Shifeta said the infrastructure development will take place at Cape Cross, Ugabmund, Springbokwasser and Möwe Bay in the Skeleton Coast Park; as well as Sesriem and Gobabeb in the Namib-Naukluft Park.
New infrastructure will include new park entrance gates and signage walls, new offices, tourism receptions, vehicle garages and maintenance workshops, staff houses, service building with equipment stores, service pits and wash bays, and ablution blocks.
[email protected]
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