The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has inaugurated four brand new park management stations at Springbokwasser, Ugabmund, Mowe Bay and Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

The development, is the biggest and most significant for the Skeleton Coast National Park in the Kunene and Erongo Region areas respectively.

Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta at the inauguration ceremony at Springbokwasser on Thursday said the ministry is working hard to establish the parks as viable tourist destinations that will benefit the people who live alongside them.

The over N.dollars 132 million programme is co-financed by the German Government through KfW Development Bank.

“Through our Namibia-Germany cooperation we continue to invest in new infrastructure development for national parks. Additional infrastructure developments are currently underway at the Gobabeb Research Station and Sesriem Management Station in the Namib Naukluft Park in the Erongo Region,” Shifeta said.

The coastal parks of Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib Naukluft are part of what has become one of the longest protected coastlines in the world, stretching from the Iona National Park in south-western Angola, bordering the Skeleton Coast Park to the Ramsar Site at the Orange River.

According to Shifeta, these coastal parks’ linkage with the transfrontier conservation areas creates further linkages with numerous concessions, conservancies and private conservation areas, and they offer exceptional conservation and tourism opportunities.

“The parks are managed for wildlife, biodiversity conservation and tourism for economic development of the country, and improved livelihoods of the people and MEFT officials particularly those working for wildlife and national parks, need to be equipped with appropriate tools and equipment to conduct their day to day activities efficiently and effectively,” he added.

German Ambassador to Namibia Herbert Beck emphasised Namibia-Germany’s common vision and values for integrating biodiversity and conservation with sustainable development.

“The Namibian Government has always been committed to ensure that its people benefit from caring for their natural resources through its laws and regulations. As a responsible global citizen, Germany recognises its duties to support its partners in those conservation efforts and has supported Namibia since its establishment of the National Parks Programme in 2006,” Beck stated.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency