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Coastal tourism: New efforts to regulate quad biking in Namibia |
By Rod Braby, NACOMA Project
 The Namib Desert has been known to be sensitive to human activities for decades. The impacts of prospecting and mining, coastal developments and associated activities have left permanent scars. The increase in All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), or as previously referred to Off-road Recreational Vehicles (ORV) activity, especially quad bikes and, to a lesser extent, motor cross bikes and other ATVs/ ORVs, has led to additional negative impacts.
In Namibia’s coastal parks (Skeleton Coast National Park, Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Namib Naukluft Park and the newly proposed Sperrgebiet National Park), quad bikes are not permitted. As a result, they concentrate in the central Namib between Walvis Bay and the Ugab River (generally known as the National West Coast Tourist Recreation Area, NWCTRA, administered by the Directorate of Parks and Wildlife Management of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, MET). This coastal area is however the most sensitive stretch on the entire coastal zone, as it is primarily covered by gypsum and soil-binding lichen encrusted soil surfaces. The dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay was identified in the 1980s as a possible “sacrifice” area as dune sand recovers well from ORV activity after strong winds.
 The legal and mandate issues related to the integration of Walvis Bay and off-shore islands into Namibia complicated plans and actions in the dune area between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. In 1998 the Erongo Regional Council, under the guidance of MET and the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project of the Erongo region, developed a draft “Dune Belt Management Plan”. However, the plan was not completely embraced by one stakeholder. This was followed by the Municipality of Walvis Bay’s Local Agenda 21 “Dune Monitoring and Management Plan”. Both plans made provision for “green levies” and zoned areas for ORVs, and regulations were formulated; however, nothing has been fully implemented due to confusion related to land ownership and mandates.
The NACOMA (Namibian Coast Conservation and Management) Project, an all embracing stakeholder and coastal project, is now facilitating the acceptable regulation of general quad bike activity on the desert coast. A workshop held in November 2006 to introduce a Contingency Management Plan, developed by the EcoAfrica and IECN consortium for NACOMA, brought about agreement in its implementation and the development of a steering committee. The Contingency Management Committee (CMC) meets regularly to guide policy makers and authorities in dealing with the increased number of quad bikes descending on the coast annually. This committee has succeeded in its short history in clearing up a mandate issue and allowing for the issuing of permits by MET.  Signage, demarcated areas and considerable awareness has been created by the activities of this committee. A point that needs continual reinforcement is that quad bikes are required to be registered, have visible number plates and be driven by licensed drivers on all Namibian land.
Two areas were identified within the dune belt, after lengthy consultation, which would be suitable as areas for quad biking activity; these are zones having the least cumulative long term impact. The areas are at Dune 7 and an area adjacent to Long Beach. A permit is required that guides behaviour in these zones. Activity outside these zones is prohibited. Areas close to Swakopmund, Henties Bay and Lüderitz are being considered for quad biking; however, in the absence of suitable dune areas, the decision will have to be well researched.
In the longer term, NACOMA are developing a coastal policy (White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development) and a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Namibian coast. These actions will help guide decision making and zoning for land use. The coastal protected areas are in the process of having their conservation management’s effectiveness assessed and improved where necessary.
Ultimately two very relevant pieces of Namibian legislation urgently need to be enacted, namely the Environmental Management Bill and the Parks and Wildlife Management Bill.
Read more about impacts from coastal tourism in the DLIST discussions and in a dedicated Burning Issue on DLIST, and share any new information you may have. If you want to know more about these regulations, contact Rod Braby at rbraby@nacoma.org.na. Read more about the White Paper in this Issue of the DLIST Newsletter.
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