THE land reform ministry has finalised an Integrated Regional Land Use Plan for Hardap.
Land reform minister Utoni Nujoma officially launched and handed over the plan approved by Cabinet in 2014 to the Hardap Regional Council at a ceremony held at Mariental last week.
Nujoma said the plan was realised through the identification of envisaged, ongoing and planned potential and related development projects, expressing his appreciation for the close cooperation between the regional council and his ministry in having formulated the plan.
Current efforts toward the development of Integrated Land Use Plans countrywide are focused at finding solutions to the efficient and sustainable utilisation of land, and stakeholder participation in drafting these plans promoted the active involvement of government, NGO’s and civil society at all levels.
The ministry had through this process developed a new approach to improve the formulation and implementation of Integrated Land Use Plans, he added.
“This new approach was piloted in the //Karas region, and tested with positive results in the Hardap region,” the minister remarked.
He thus called for the stakeholders’ participation during the implementation of the region’s plan, saying this is vital for inter-disciplinary cooperation, sectoral integration and civic management.
“Through this initiative, the ministry has also created a platform for enhanced future stakeholder engagements in planning matters that would address socio-economic development issues within the Hardap region,” he continued.
The Integrated Regional Land Use Plan formulation and new implementation approach has been rolled-out to the Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West regions, whereas plans for the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions are targeted during the 2015/16 financial year, Nujoma revealed.
luqman@namibian.com.na
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