Read at :

Google Alert for desertification

allAfrica

http://allafrica.com/stories/200706150583.html

Namibia: Fighting And Protecting Deserts

New Era (Windhoek)

15 June 2007
Posted to the web 15 June 2007

Catherine Sasman
Windhoek

The Namib Desert on the western coastline stretches from the Olifants River in the Cape Province of South Africa to the San Nicolau in southern Angola, at an average width of around 200 kilometres. The area is characterised by shifting sand dunes and frequent balls of fog that roll in from the cold Atlantic Ocean. Along the eastbound border lies the Kalahari Desert, a large arid to semi-arid stretch of sandy terrain. The central highlands of the country are pockmarked with meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands in the far eastern tip and a barren landscape in the south. It is a country of picturesque, wide open spaces and diversity in topography, but of sparse rainfall that comes increasingly later and which is getting less with each passing rainy season. Naturally arid areas are especially prone to land degradation, making the threat of desertification and the general under-appreciation of the desert environments of particular relevance to Namibia, where a rapid population growth imposes increasing pressure on the largely waterless environment.

Last year was proclaimed the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD) by the 58th session of the UN General Assembly to underline its concern for the exacerbation of desertification and far-reaching implications for the implementation of the eight Millennium Development Goals for 2015.

This gave an opportunity for countries to strengthen the visibility and importance of the challenges of drylands on the international environmental agenda and to reinforce the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCC).

Earlier this month, the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre on the Kuiseb River, a unique establishment run as a joint venture between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN), finished a year of numerous activities under the IYDD & Forever project under the theme “Proud of our deserts, while combating desertification” in promotion of sustainable development in drylands and awareness raising of how the public should take care of our fragile natural heritage.

The project, funded by the Small Grants Project (SGP) of the UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) also aimed at making Namibians understand the contrasting contributions of our deserts and desertification to their livelihoods and to help integrate this knowledge into the National Development Programme (NDP III) processes and policy development in Namibia.

“Because desertification is still a priority for Namibia, the country continues to celebrate IYDD,” said Emily Mutota, the IYDD national coordinator at the Gobabeb centre.

Deserts are often viewed as desolate and even grotesque for their barrenness. Many people feel threatened by their unusual and unforgiving geography. But in Namibia, our deserts ought to be celebrated for its unique eco-systems and the fact that it remains a major tourist attraction, added Mutota.

“Most tourists travel to Namibia to come and explore the beauty of the two deserts. Both have beautiful landscapes like the Sand Dune Sea and rocky outcrops of the Namib Desert. And both deserts have clean air. “

Another important benefit of our deserts, commented Clarence Mazambani of the DRFN, is that plant and animal species found there cannot be found anywhere else, like the Welwitschia and !Nara plant, a fruit that has played a significant role in the lives of the Topnaar people of the Namib.

Also of significance is the fact that the deserts abound of archaeological materials such as scattered pieces of stone and pottery or paintings representing a valuable part of our history. These artifacts constitute an important component of the total archaeological picture of the desert lands and are popular among scientists and other researchers.

The deserts cover large conservation and recreation areas, and are rich in minerals.

(continued)