Namibia - Human Resources Development for the Geological Survey of Namibia, Engineering & Environmental Geology Subdivision
Country / Region: Namibia / Africa
Focal Point: Environmental geology
Begin of project: April 7, 2008
End of project: October 1, 2012
Status of project: May 3, 2016
Water sampling in the surrounding of mine tailings.
Source: BGR
PreviousTechnical Cooperation between the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) included classic topics such as geological surveying, mineral prospecting and geophysics.
Due to increasing economic activities, especially in the mining sector and due to population growth, scarce natural resources such as ground and surface water as well as soil and biodiversity are increasingly at risk. Mine wastes at abandoned mine sites and current mining activities impact manifold on the environment and human health.
The worldwide boom in commodities prices brought the facilitation and utilization of geosciences for the sustainable development of Namibia in a priority position. Therefore, the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN), one of five Directorates in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, decided to build up a Division of Engineering and Environmental Geology.
Support by BGR aims on capacity building by practical on-the-job-training of staff, workshops and training courses. Furthermore scholarships for Namibian junior staff are enabling scientific studies and specific trainings abroad.
The project counterparts are cooperating with all relevant governmental, non-governmental and private sector institutions in Namibia which are engaged in mining related or environmental issues.
The team’s work focuses on:
- Environmental inspections at all active mines and subsequent improvement of environmental management
- Monitoring of abandoned mine sites and triggering remediation
- Development of tools for effective and efficient mine monitoring (remote sensing, fingerprinting of effluent water)
- Assessing groundwater pollution by waste disposals, industry and agriculture
- Developing thematic maps for urban and land use as a basis for decision making
- Data exchange with and advising for regional and town planning institutions.
- Improving environmental impacts of small scale mining,
- Conducting the worldwide first Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for a mining area for the uranium mining province in Erongo Region
Technical Cooperation with Namibia
Projekt-Nr.: 2008.2007.6
Projekt-ID: 1035
Project contributions:
- Interpretation of Gravity and Magnetic Data from Namibia
- TC Namibia: Geogenic Background Concentration of Dissolved Uranium in Groundwaters of the Ephemeral Khan- and Swakop River
Partner:
Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN)
