A vision for sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship

Minister of environment and tourism Indileni Daniel at her first meeting with ministry officials, government auditorium, Windhoek, 31 March 2025

I am happy for this platform that allows us to meet physically, to get to know one another and to exchange greetings and expectations now that the new administration is in place and my subsequent appointment as minister of environment and tourism by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

I am deeply honoured and humbled by the responsibility of heading this ministry, and I am happy to address you as we embark on a new era of leadership and commitment to excellence. Our collective mission remains clear: to preserve Namibia’s natural heritage, foster sustainable tourism, and drive economic growth while ensuring environmental stewardship.

As I assume office, I want to echo the words of president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who has set out clear expectations for all government institutions: “Delays in the implementation of decisions taken will not be accepted.” This directive underscores the urgency of our work and the need for efficiency, innovation and accountability in all our operations. 

Thus, some adjustments will be necessary to ensure that we align our work with the Swapo Party’s Election Manifesto of 2024 and its associated implementation plan. There are targets in our manifesto that must be met within the timelines prescribed in the implementation plan.

This ministry plays a pivotal role in Namibia’s economic development. Tourism is a critical economic enabler. Our natural resources, including wildlife and protected areas, are important drivers of tourism and have a key role to play in our drive towards greater self-sufficiency and poverty reduction.

In the case of tourism, we need to ensure that a spatial tourism master plan is developed by 30 June 2025. Attracting and encouraging new investments to ensure industry diversification and sustainability will be a key and urgent focus of mine. 

This is necessary to stimulate the local economy by redefining the tourism landscape to bring about greater socio-economic inclusion. We also need to ensure optimum benefits for all local communities from tourism and natural resources through value addition and diversification.

Capitalising and fully operationalising the lotteries and gambling boards, and access and benefit-sharing offices will be a further focus of mine so that we generate much-needed revenue for the treasury and improve regulation of these important sectors.

We must remain steadfast in our commitment to integrity. The president has made it clear that “corruption should be seen as treason” – a clarion call for all of us to uphold the highest ethical standards in our service to the nation.

In alignment with the Swapo Party’s 2024 Election Manifesto and the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), we must act decisively in the following areas but not limited to:

Improving service delivery and efficiency
We must work as a team, coordinate across directorates, and strengthen customer service at all levels.
Fast-track the issuance of environmental clearance certificates to facilitate responsible development.
Digitalise services, including tourism information systems, to improve data collection and analysis.

Sustainable tourism, gaming development and community benefits
Develop a spatial tourism master plan by 30 June 2025 to ensure organised and inclusive growth.
Capitalise and fully operationalise the Lotteries and Gambling Boards to generate revenue for tourism development.
Attract new investments in tourism to diversify and strengthen the sector.
Ensure that local communities benefit from our natural resources through value addition and increased participation in tourism initiatives.

Environmental protection and resource management
Accelerate reforestation efforts to combat deforestation and land degradation.
Enhance climate change resilience by implementing the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to support food, water and energy security.
Operationalise the Access and Benefit Sharing Office to ensure communities derive value from natural resources.

Strengthening anti-poaching and conservation efforts
Increase investment in protected area infrastructure to safeguard wildlife and address human-wildlife conflicts.
Improve the management of concession rights to communities to ensure income generation while also supporting nature conservation and potentially changing community perceptions about wildlife and protected areas.
Enhance inter-ministerial and stakeholder collaboration to protect Namibia’s biodiversity.

Policy implementation and removing bottlenecks
We have a robust set of policies on waste management, forestry, wildlife, climate and biodiversity.
Our duty is to ensure these policies are fully implemented and to remove any barriers hindering progress.
Strengthen partnerships with state agencies, civil society and intergovernmental organisations to mobilise additional resources.

A call for unity and collective effort
As we move forward, I urge every member of this ministry to embrace teamwork and unity. 

Ours is a strategic ministry with a critical mandate, and it is only through collective effort and by working with all stakeholders and partners that we can fulfil our responsibilities to the Namibian people. It cannot continue to be business as usual. It is our job to serve the public, and we cannot have the public beg us for services.

Let us work efficiently, ethically, diligently and with unwavering dedication to ensure that our ministry delivers on its promises and contributes meaningfully to the well-being of our environment, economy and communities at large. 

We must be resolute in upholding the highest ethical standards in all that we do.

I count on your full support and commitment as we take bold steps together towards a more sustainable environment and prosperous Namibia.

Let’s get to work! 

I thank you.