Monday, June 9, 2008

Does climate change bother Namibians?

AllAfrica, via New Era (Windhoek): A national debate on Climate Change and Global Warming was held on Friday in the capital. The main question that was deliberated upon was: what is really causing global warming, is it human activities or a natural phenomenon?

The dominant view among those present squarely placed the blame on the shoulders of human beings and their activities and their impact on the environment. Nevertheless, there were other views that differed from the dominant view, noting that there is no evidence that whatever is happening is caused by human activity.

Namibia is one of the countries that will be severely affected by global warming and climate change as a result of its aridity. The country is characterised by high climate variability, evident from persistent droughts, unpredictable and variable rainfall patterns, variability in temperatures and scarcity of water. Namibia also experiences high solar radiation, low humidity and high temperatures.

…[ Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism Leon] Jooste said there is need for Namibia and other developing countries to utilise appropriate technologies to help in the adaptation process, which will help these countries to adapt to the threats posed by climate change. "We therefore call for greater mobilisation, especially on a global scale, and action by our development partners to create an enabling environment to improve the effectiveness of the transfer of environmentally sound technology, including access to modern energy technology," Jooste said.

Flag of Namibia, Wikimedia Commons

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