Rising sea levels threaten Walvis Bay - president

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has warned that rising sea levels pose a growing threat to Namibia’s coastal infrastructure and marine economy, particularly at the strategic Walvis Bay harbour.

Speaking at the high-level plenary meeting on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise in New York on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said sea levels rising was no longer a distant projection but a present and accelerating reality.

She said the Walvis Bay harbour, located one to three metres above the mean sea level, serves as a gateway to regional and international markets and is increasingly exposed to climate-related risks.

“Rising sea levels affect our transport infrastructure, marine resources, biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s marine ecosystem, supported by the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem, underpins the country’s fisheries sector and contributes to the gross domestic product, food security and foreign exchange.