The mining sector should follow the environmental impact assessment process, as required by the Environmental Management Act (EMA) of 2007. This was said by Namibia’s Environmental Commissioner, Teofilus Nghitila, at a mining conference held in Windhoek last week.

Mining activities that require environmental impact assessment include abstraction of ground or surface water for industrial purposes, quarrying and infrastructure development. Nghitila delivered the presentation to a conference on the role of mining sector on the implementation of the implementation of the EMA.
He said mines are required to appoint environmental impact assessment persons to manage the assessment process. These experts, he said, should conduct public consultation (with people affected by mining activities) as well as open and maintain the register for Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs).
They should also submit to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism their applications for the environmental clearance and scoping report with the payment of prescribed fees.
Other duties include managing the environmental clearance certificates as per regulations, complying with the conditions of the environmental clearance certificate and  promoting sustainable development. The Act stipulates that a person who causes damage to the environment must pay the associated costs for rehabilitation.
“Mining companies are expected to adhere to these principles by ensuring that rehabilitation is done,” said Nghitila.
Offences related to the EMA, include undertaking a listed activity without an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC), providing false or misleading information to the Environmental Commissioner and destroying or defacing any document related to the EMA.
The Act empowers the Environmental Commissioner to withhold, suspend or cancel the ECC if the holder has contravened any condition of the certificate, has contrived the EMA or is convicted of an offence in terms of the EMA. The purpose of the EMA is to promote sustainable management of the environment and the intelligent use of natural resources by establishing principles of decision-making on matters affecting the environment.
Nghitila’s presentation was made on his behalf by the Chief Development Planner in the Department of Environmental Affairs of the Ministry, Saima Angula.