Climate Change in

Namibia

Reagan Chunga
Project Coordinator
Department of Environmental
Affairs 1
 1. Introduction to Climate Change

o Differentiate between Weather and Climate

o Weather –is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere

which includes temperature and pressure of the air,
winds and how much moisture the air contains.

o Climate – is the average of all weather events of a

place over a long period of time (30 years).
 What is Climate Change?
• Climate Change (CC) is any long-term (decades or
longer) significant change in the “average weather” that
a given region experiences.
It is caused by human activities such as
burning of fossil fuels to (coal, oil, natural
gas) driving cars, generating electricity,
factories, deforestation, waste disposal

Green House Gasses trap the Sun’s heat

energy in the atmosphere which heats up
the Earth

and by far wealthy countries are the

biggest contributor of greenhouse gas
emissions.
Some Causes of Climate Change
Who emits the most & who suffers?
 International responses
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) formed in 1992, 165 signatories
• Kyoto Protocol which sets out “binding” targets for
developing countries
• The Kyoto had two commitment period:
– First 2008 to 2012
– Second 2013 to 2020
• All Annex 1 parties, excluding the US, participated in the
first commitment period
• Japan, New Zealand, Russia and Canada did not
withdraw in the second round
 Background
• In December 2011, the COP17 in Durban decided – in
paragraphs 2-8 of Decision 1/CP.171 – to establish the Ad-hoc
Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action
(ADP).
• On 12 December 2015, the 21st Conference of the Parties to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) adopted the “Paris Agreement” (PA).
• The PA will enter into force once 55 countries covering 55% of
global emissions have acceded to it.
• The treaty under international law that represents the first
really collective effort by the world community to tackle
climate change.
 Paris climate deal: key points

• Keeping temperature rises below 1.5ᵒC

– Governments have agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit
warming to 1.5ᵒC.
• Pledges to curb emissions
– Before the COP21, more than 180 countries had submitted
pledges to cut or curb their carbon emissions.
– These are NOT sufficient to prevent global temperatures
from rising beyond 2ᵒC – in fact it is thought they will lead
to a 2.7C rise or higher.
 Paris climate deal: key points...

• Finance
– Developed countries have acknowledged their obligation
to provide climate finance.

– Developed country Parties will take the lead in mobilising

climate finance from a wide range of sources, instruments
and channels.

– The draft text says that the countries “intend to continue

their existing collective mobilisation goal through 2025”.
 Paris climate deal: key points...

• Loss and damage

– The deal includes loss and damage, a mechanism for
addressing the financial losses vulnerable countries face
from climate impacts such as extreme weather.
 Current status of PA

• Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016

• 30 days after the date on which at least 55 parties to the
convention accounting in total for at least an estimated
55% of total global GHG emissions have ratified
• Namibia one of the first countries to ratify
Climate change in Namibia
• Why Namibia is vulnerable to
climate change (CC)
– CC is expected to worsen the highly
variable climate of Namibia
– Namibia’s economy is largely
dependent on natural resources
(diverse rangelands, agriculture,
mineral deposits, ecosystems, marine
fisheries, biodiversity)
– Socio-economic factors such as
population growth, high unemployment
and loss of jobs will worsen the
vulnerability of households to CC
impacts
– As a developing country, Namibia has
least adaptive capacity due to lack of
resources, skills & technology
 Green Climate Fund

• To fund low carbon, climate Resilient Projects

• To raise USD 100 Billion Annually until 2020
• July 2017 USD 10.3 Billion pledged from 43 states
• EIF Namibia accredited institute
• 2 Projects approved so far
• Other projects concepts being developed
 2. Climate Change in Namibia
• Climate Change predictions for
Namibia:
– Increase in temperature and
evapotranspiration
– Namibia will be drier with more rainfall
variability
– Both floods and droughts are expected
to increase in frequency and intensity
– Subsequent major disruption to the
economy
– Human livelihoods (especially of the
poor) will be impacted by CC on
natural resources and the functioning
of ecosystems
– Sea level expected to rise by 18 to 59
cm by year 2100.
Impacts of CC in Namibia
Impacts on Agriculture
 Impact on Water resources

o Increased water stress as result of drier conditions

o Reduced availability of freshwater in dams due to increased evaporation
o Possible salt intrusion into ground water sources at coastal areas
Impacts on Infrastructure
Climate change Adaptation vs
Mitigation
 4. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION
• Climate Change Adaptation is concerned with the impacts of a changing
climate on society, the economy and the environment, and promotes
activities to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events and other longer
term changes in our climate.
•We need to put adjustment mechanism (Strategies) in
place in order to adapt which includes:
Improve cropping/farming systems
Use of drought tolerant crop varieties
Use of water logged tolerant crop varieties e.g. rice
Use of heat resistant livestock breeds
Rain & flood water harvesting for irrigation
Diversified farming - venture into aquaculture – enough
water due to floods; mixed farming – crop & livestock
Improve the early warning system
• Mitigation is concerned with the
causes of global warming and calls for
the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions.

 Use of gas-fired power generation

 Efficient lighting and use of solar
and other alternate energy sources
 Improved cooking stoves and
reduction of charcoal use
 Enhance GHG sinks – plant more
trees and protect forests
 Our responses
• A multi-sectoral National Climate Change Committee (NCCC) was formed in 2001
to provide overall oversight and to advise government on CC issues
• National Climate Change Policy in 2011 and a National Climate Change Strategy
and Action Plan (2013-2020) approved by Cabinet in 2014
• Variety of initiatives to promote clean development and renewable energy such as
Solar Revolving Fund (MME) and green soft loans and grants of the EIF
• Various projects:
– Scaling up community resilience to climate variability and climate change in
Northern Namibia, with a special focus on women and children (SCORE)
(2014-2019)
– Africa Adaptation Project Namibia (2010-2012)
– Climate Change Adaptation Project under the Country Pilot Partnership for
Integrated Sustainable Land Management (2008-2012)
– Community Based Adaptation initiatives through the Small Grants Programme

23
Responses to CC
 International responses
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) formed in 1992, 165 signatories
• Kyoto Protocol which sets out “binding” targets for
developing countries
• The Kyoto had two commitment period:
– First 2008 to 2012
– Second 2013 to 2020
• All Annex 1 parties, excluding the US, participated in the
first commitment period
• Japan, New Zealand, Russia and Canada did not
withdraw in the second round
 Background
• In December 2011, the COP17 in Durban decided – in
paragraphs 2-8 of Decision 1/CP.171 – to establish the Ad-hoc
Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action
(ADP).
• On 12 December 2015, the 21st Conference of the Parties to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) adopted the “Paris Agreement” (PA).
• The PA will enter into force once 55 countries covering 55% of
global emissions have acceded to it.
• The treaty under international law that represents the first
really collective effort by the world community to tackle
climate change.
 Paris climate deal: key points

• Keeping temperature rises below 1.5ᵒC

– Governments have agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit
warming to 1.5ᵒC.
• Pledges to curb emissions
– Before the COP21, more than 180 countries had submitted
pledges to cut or curb their carbon emissions.
– These are NOT sufficient to prevent global temperatures
from rising beyond 2ᵒC – in fact it is thought they will lead
to a 2.7C rise or higher.
 Paris climate deal: key points...

• Finance
– Developed countries have acknowledged their obligation
to provide climate finance.

– Developed country Parties will take the lead in mobilising

climate finance from a wide range of sources, instruments
and channels.

– The draft text says that the countries “intend to continue

their existing collective mobilisation goal through 2025”.
 Paris climate deal: key points...

• Loss and damage

– The deal includes loss and damage, a mechanism for
addressing the financial losses vulnerable countries face
from climate impacts such as extreme weather.
 Current status of PA

• Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016

• 30 days after the date on which at least 55 parties to the
convention accounting in total for at least an estimated
55% of total global GHG emissions have ratified
• Namibia one of the first countries to ratify
Thank you for your attention