A coastal zone management framework for the Erongo Region of Namibia
Management of the coastal environment of the Erongo Region of Namibia is currently fraught with difficulty because of a lack of cohesive planning at national, regional, and local level; a multiplicity of agencies responsible for the management of coastal activities whose planning and management actions are not integrated; and, fragmented environmental legislation which suffers from a lack of coordination. The lack of integrated planning and management has resulted in an uncoordinated and fragmented approach to coastal zone management (CZM) in the Region. Development pressure exists on the coast of the Erongo Region because of factors such as high migration numbers into the area; an increased need for housing and employment; proposed dune mining activity; and, growth of the tourism industry with associated increases in infrastructural provision and the number of people visiting the area. Without effective planning, over-exploitation of coastal resources could occur. This could place at risk the resource base on which the Region depends as a source of income. To achieve better management of the coastal environment of the Erongo Region, the dissertation proposes a Coastal Zone Management Framework for the Region. The suggested Management Framework is applied to coastal zone management in Namibia. The analysis concerns Namibia, and not the Erongo Region, because the framework involves management planning at a national level, and not only at a regional level and local level; the setting in place of national level CZM policies, and not only regional level and local level CZM policies; the adoption of CZM legislation; the establishment of a steering committee to oversee implementation of the framework at national level; and the extension by national level authorities of the role of Strategic Environmental Assessment.
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Department of Environmental and Geographical Science