Youth safeguarding Africa’s Natural Resources and the Environment: Namibian youth initiatives

Hilma Angula

Integrated Environmental Consultants Namibia (IECN)

The Food Agriculture Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), Swaziland

19-23 September 2011

Importance of Natural resources and the environment

““We do have to be part of the solutions to environmental We do have to be part of the solutions to environmental problems and not contributors”problems and not contributors”

Why involve the youth in safeguarding natural resource

Our actionsYoung energetic and agents

of changePotential to make a change

Future leaders

What the Namibian Youth are doing

Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)/Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP NAM)

Design and implement a CCA Youth Action Programme• Pilot Projects: Urban gardening and Indigenous Poultry Project High school Multimedia competition Initiated NYCCC

MET - Environmental Education• Environmental education (EE) centers in Waterberg Plateau Park and

Etosha National Park (Natural resources Management Students)

Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and culture

Youth Conservation corps• Expose youth to practical conservation work• Expose youth to fauna and flora• Bird watching / counting• Cleaning campaign• Tree planting

Environmental Youth ClubsNational Youth Council (NYC)

Mushroom farming

• Initiative that aim to train youth in mushroom cultivation• Create employment and empower the youth• Improve living standard of people• Ministry is piloting the project, success of the project will lead to

replication in different parts of the country

What are the challenges?

• Lack of resources• Lack of adequate awareness

(information communication and dissemination)

• Comparing today's youth initiative to the past youth

• Sustainability (donor funded projects or initiatives)

Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust

• Environmental education center that teaches the community and the youth as well as school learners on how to live sustainably

• Their main focus is on reducing carbon footprint and to ensure sustainable living

What needs to be done?

• Promote community involvement in the management of natural resources

• Use natural resources on a sustainable basis and fully consider the ecosystems

• Promote youth involvement in the management of natural resources and environment

• Encourage youth empowerment projects

Anything done for the youth and not by the youth is not for the youth.

The earth is not ours, it is a treasure we owe the future generations!

“For the youth by the youth” because anything done

for us and not by us is not ours”