WINDHOEK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Namibia says that poaching is one of the biggest threats to the biodiversity and populations of wildlife species such as elephants and rhinos are being threatened due to greed, an official said Friday.
As Namibia joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for Biological Diversity which falls on May 22, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said deforestation and illegal harvesting of timber and other forest resources have become so common in recent years that it is threatening the health of our precious woodland ecosystems.
He said that other pressing challenges to biodiversity include littering, pollution, habitat destruction caused by sand mining and other forms of mining.
According to Muyunda, Namibia continues to play a leading role in environmental protection and the conservation of biodiversity and the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems as outlined in the Constitution.
"We constantly continue to formulate new policies and improve existing policies to ensure positive impacts on both the economy, society, and the environment," he said.
Furthermore, Muyunda said Namibia has reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) by engaging in the current international negotiations.
Meanwhile, Muyunda said the COVID-19 pandemic struck at the critical moment in the country as the pandemic severely affected the tourism and conservation sectors and ultimately the country's economy.
"National and international researchers are urged to look within our biodiversity resources for the cure to this virus," he said.
International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated under the framework of UNCBD which is aimed at among other things inspiring thr mankind's commitments toward biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Enditem
