Namibia, Germany pump N$132,4m into infrastructure upgrades at parks

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has spent about N$132,4 million on upgrading infrastructure in the Dorob and Skeleton Coast National Park.

The finance was provided with the assistance of the German government through the KfW Development Bank.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony at the Springbokwasser management station in the Kunene region last Thursday, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said the new infrastructure will help staff and tourists visiting the parks.

“Tourists will now make Namibia their first destination in the world. They will be able to do more and I am happy to have this infrastructure in the desert,” Shifeta said.

The financial investment saw the inauguration of park infrastructure and equipment in the Dorob and Skeleton Coast National Parks, at Cape Cross, Ugabmund, Möwe Bay and Springbokwasser management stations. This includes newly constructed park entrance gates, office buildings, tourist reception areas, ablution facilities, information display services for visitors, new garages, service buildings, and staff housing.

Shifeta said the newly constructed staff houses have two bedrooms to accommodate family members who visit.

This was provided because 85% of staff members live in national parks, Shifeta said. “I’m am happy to hand over this infrastructure because when I joined this ministry and visited some parks in the Kavango regions, I was disheartened to see the condition in which staff members were living. But today, they are living in proper structures,” he said.

According to Shifeta, the budgeted amount for the upgrade of the four national parks inaugurated including others, was over N$100 million.

“With this infrastructure, we also have some continuing development going on in the Dorob and Namib-Naukluft National Park that we are going to open, although we have already opened some infrastructure,” he said.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the upgrades mark another milestone in the ongoing development cooperation between Germany and Namibia, particularly in the areas of biodiversity conservation and environmental management.

“It is our collective conviction that the infrastructure and equipment will go a long way towards serving and promoting not only conservation, but tourism development in the coastal areas of the country,” Muyunda said.

German ambassador to Namibia Herbert Beck said the inauguration of the parks’ infrastructure marks another milestone in the longstanding development partnership between Namibia and Germany over the past 30 years.

“The Namibian-German development cooperation is broad and one of our most important sectors is our common portfolio in the core area of management of natural resources,” Beck said.

This is aimed at improving the livelihoods of Namibians as well as conserving Namibia’s rich biodiversity and nature, Beck said.

“Our common vision and values for integrating biodiversity and conservation with sustainable development are key to this successful partnership,” he said.