3.1. NATIONAL FRAMEWORK
3.2. LINKS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES
3.1.1. National legislation, policy and strategy on forest genetic resources
3.1.2. Institutions
The Namibian constitution provides for maintenance of ecological processes and biological diversity for present and future generations (Namibia’s constitution, Article 95:1). Laws that are relevant to forest genetic resources are: the preservation of trees (Forest Ordinance N°37 of 1952; Forest Act N°72 of 1968; draft Forest Act of 1998).
The forest legislation in Namibia had to be revised after independence because it was outdated. A new national forestry policy was drafted in 1992 and has still to be ratified. The Forest Act was drafted in 1998 and is yet to be finalized. The forest policy makes provision for the preservation of ecological services and natural heritage, reservation and expansion of forest lands for multipurpose use as well as control and proper management of forest resources.
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) is the main responsible government agency for conservation and protection of the environment in general. Under MET, the Directorate of Forestry (established after independence in 1990) is responsible for forests. The environmental project of the Namibia-Finland Forestry Programme, under the Directorate of Forestry, is responsible for defining and coordinating national conservation objectives and this component has potential to make a significant contribution to conservation of forest genetic resources. The National Forest Inventory, also under the Directorate of Forestry, is compiling information on existing forest resources and this would help in identifying the distribution of forest resources.
Forest fires are a big concern to the stability of forest biodiversity in general. They affect the regeneration of species and wipe out some species which are not fire tolerant. In demonstration of the concern on forest fires, the Directorate of Forestry, through the Namibia-Finland Programme, started an integrated fire management project. It is based in the areas of concern, which are Caprivi and Kavango, and the main objective is to reduce wild fires through the involvement of communities and also to teach them how to apply fire safely, when necessary.
The NTSC is also another institution, which is involved in the collection of forest tree seeds and their short-term storage. The NTSC operates under the Directorate of Forestry.
The Tree Atlas Project is attached to the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and its main objective is to collect information on the existing abundance and distribution of woody vegetation in Namibia for comparison with previous records and future records (Barbara Curtis, pers. comm.). The NPGRC, also under NBRI, stores germplasm of most plants, including trees.
Under the MET, there is a Directorate of Environmental Affairs, through which the Convention of Biological Diversity is being implemented. The National Biodiversity Programme demonstrates Namibia’s commitment to promoting sustainability of the environment.
Namibia is a signatory to the Convention on biological diversity, the United Nations Convention to climate change, the Convention on combating desertification, as well as the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.
Biological diversity in the Convention is defined as “a variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and freshwater species. This includes diversity within species, between species and of habitats or ecosystems” (Barnard, 1998). Therefore activities for conservation of biodiversity are inclusive of conservation of forest genetic resources.
