World Heritage dossier builds internal capacity
Application deadline 1 February
The National Heritage Council (NHC) is expected to submit its application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for World Heritage status for the Brandberg soon.According to NHC director Erica Ndalikokule, Namibia plans to submit its dossier before the deadline of 17:00 on 1 February. The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, praised the preparation process, noting that this marks a national milestone. “This is a first for Namibia, as internal heritage officials have been authorised to compile the World Heritage dossier,” Steenkamp said in her keynote address at a high-level stakeholder consultation meeting held in Windhoek on Thursday.
Namibia’s highest mountain, also known as Dâures in Khoekhoegowab, features extensive rock art, archaeological sites, unique geological formations, and rare fauna and flora. These attributes are detailed in the nomination document.
In her presentation, Ndalikokule outlined the work undertaken since the Dâures/Brandberg National Monument area was selected from Namibia’s provisional World Heritage list in 2002. Other sites on that list included the Welwitschia Plain in the Namib-Naukluft Park and the Fish River.
She highlighted the benefits of World Heritage status, which include international recognition, strengthened national identity and pride, environmental conservation, improved knowledge of the site, increased scientific interest, cultural tourism growth, and expanded international collaboration opportunities.
Investing in capacity building
The NHC has so far spent approximately N$380 000 on the national project, supplemented by financial support of about N$1.08 million from the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF). These funds were allocated to stakeholder engagement and consultation, public awareness initiatives, capacity building, and the compilation of the nomination dossier.
“We were fortunate to receive technical support from other government institutions because this is a national project,” said NHC spokesperson Beverley Alexander. “The approach the NHC took was to integrate the nomination into our existing programmes, and that is how we intend to proceed going forward, as we now have internal capacity.”
Mining concern
Part of the proposal to elevate the status of Dâures/Brandberg includes the establishment of a 10 km buffer zone around the existing monument area. An official from the Ministry of Industrial Development, Mining and Energy confirmed that numerous exploration licences are currently active within the proposed buffer zone, with additional applications pending approval.
However, Ndalikokule noted that the NHC already requires that mining operations not take place within 15 km of the base of the mountain as a condition for approving an environmental clearance certificate. She said this requirement has been in place since 2020.
Small miners’ plight
Dâures constituency regional councillor Incenia Brandt and Herman Naruseb, chairperson of the Daure Daman Traditional Authority, raised concerns about the impact of mining restrictions on small-scale miners who are prohibited from operating on the mountain.
Brandt acknowledged that mining on the Brandberg is illegal but stressed that alternatives must be considered for affected local miners. “It is heartbreaking that they have been removed. We do not want to repeat the example of the Spitzkoppe, where people lost their only source of income,” she said.
She added that local miners possess extensive knowledge of the mountain and valuable practical experience. “The Brandberg has always been a heritage site of indigenous people, and local participation must be given priority,” Brandt argued.
Naruseb suggested that former miners could be employed as mountain guides, providing an alternative source of income to offset the loss of mining activities.
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