Fight pests naturally - Shifeta
The environment minister says it's better for farmers to consider using natural pest control methods, because if people continue to use chemicals the soil may end up being unproductive.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has urged farmers to stop using chemical pesticides in the fight against pests, saying they are not environmentally friendly and only end up damaging the environment.
Shifeta said at stakeholders' consultative workshop on climate change awareness at Ongwediva that farmers had failed to control fall armyworms with chemical pesticides and ended up destroying the soil.
He said scientific study released few weeks ago had revealed that the northern regions will face, amongst others, impacts such as increasing temperatures, sporadic floods, increases in malaria cases and other vector-borne diseases.
The environment ministry, in its role as the national designated authority for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) says it will continue with further consultations in all regions, in order solicit inputs from communities, so they can design transformative and bankable adaptation and mitigation projects that can access GCF funding.
Shifeta said it's better for farmers to consider using natural methods of pest control, because if people continue to use chemicals the soil may end up being unproductive.
“Let us stop the use of chemicals in the fight against pesticides, because they are damaging the environment. For the past years agriculturalists have been using chemicals to fight against armyworms, but they failed and some of the chemicals used ended in the soil killing the earthworms or they can kill bees which are all crucial for food productivity.
“We must consider natural ways to mitigate to control the situation. In the past there used to be birds that used to eat up or reduce the number of armyworms, but due to our bad behaviour towards the environment we killed these birds and that is the reason we are having many armyworms, crickets and ticks on livestock.”
Chickens protect Shifeta's mahangu
Shifeta said southern Africa has been experiencing armyworm plagues that have been destroying crops, but they have never been a problem at his mahangu field.
He said at his field he has many chickens that he uses to balance the nature.
“I do not use chemicals at my mahangu field to control pests. I use chickens and it's a quite effective method. They go around the field eating up the pests that are a threats to crops. Chickens can control pests just like the birds used to do,” he said.
Shifeta said climate change is indeed the most significant sustainable development challenge in Namibia, but it also offers opportunities for a paradigm shift toward low emissions, high resilience and a more inclusive economy.
“A scientific study has revealed that the northern regions in Namibia will face, amongst others, impacts such as increasing temperatures, sporadic floods, increases in malaria and other vector-borne diseases, a decrease in the numbers of wet days and an increase in length of the dry season.
“Therefore, it's against this background that studies have been commissioned at local level to develop tools for adaptation, including the community information toolkit on climate change adaptation,” he said.
He said a special report that was released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) a few weeks ago, which indicated that temperatures on the planet are still increasing rapidly.
Shifeta said the report highlighted the danger of global warming and the negative effects it brings to the planet and her people.
He said the increase in temperatures will put more pressure on water and food availability.
ILENI NANDJATO
Shifeta said at stakeholders' consultative workshop on climate change awareness at Ongwediva that farmers had failed to control fall armyworms with chemical pesticides and ended up destroying the soil.
He said scientific study released few weeks ago had revealed that the northern regions will face, amongst others, impacts such as increasing temperatures, sporadic floods, increases in malaria cases and other vector-borne diseases.
The environment ministry, in its role as the national designated authority for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) says it will continue with further consultations in all regions, in order solicit inputs from communities, so they can design transformative and bankable adaptation and mitigation projects that can access GCF funding.
Shifeta said it's better for farmers to consider using natural methods of pest control, because if people continue to use chemicals the soil may end up being unproductive.
“Let us stop the use of chemicals in the fight against pesticides, because they are damaging the environment. For the past years agriculturalists have been using chemicals to fight against armyworms, but they failed and some of the chemicals used ended in the soil killing the earthworms or they can kill bees which are all crucial for food productivity.
“We must consider natural ways to mitigate to control the situation. In the past there used to be birds that used to eat up or reduce the number of armyworms, but due to our bad behaviour towards the environment we killed these birds and that is the reason we are having many armyworms, crickets and ticks on livestock.”
Chickens protect Shifeta's mahangu
Shifeta said southern Africa has been experiencing armyworm plagues that have been destroying crops, but they have never been a problem at his mahangu field.
He said at his field he has many chickens that he uses to balance the nature.
“I do not use chemicals at my mahangu field to control pests. I use chickens and it's a quite effective method. They go around the field eating up the pests that are a threats to crops. Chickens can control pests just like the birds used to do,” he said.
Shifeta said climate change is indeed the most significant sustainable development challenge in Namibia, but it also offers opportunities for a paradigm shift toward low emissions, high resilience and a more inclusive economy.
“A scientific study has revealed that the northern regions in Namibia will face, amongst others, impacts such as increasing temperatures, sporadic floods, increases in malaria and other vector-borne diseases, a decrease in the numbers of wet days and an increase in length of the dry season.
“Therefore, it's against this background that studies have been commissioned at local level to develop tools for adaptation, including the community information toolkit on climate change adaptation,” he said.
He said a special report that was released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) a few weeks ago, which indicated that temperatures on the planet are still increasing rapidly.
Shifeta said the report highlighted the danger of global warming and the negative effects it brings to the planet and her people.
He said the increase in temperatures will put more pressure on water and food availability.
ILENI NANDJATO
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