Category: Namibia

An exceptional photo of the Namib Sand Sea presented by Mrinal Mohit won the first prize in the photo contest organized on Instagram by the World Heritage Centre (WHC) and the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) on the occasion of the third edition of the African World Heritage Day (5 May). The contest closed on Monday 30 April 2018 after three weeks of competition, and with the submission of nearly 1700 photographs expressing the richness and diversity of the African cultural and natural heritage.

A jury evaluated and selected the photographs of the candidates according to their creativity and content. The photographs selected are:

1. Namib Sand Sea, Namibia by Mrinal Mohit (@Wowitsmrinal, USA). He won a trip for two to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park.
2. Stone Town of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania by Machano Ashraki Mussa (@Ash_gallery17, United Republic of Tanzania) who won a stay for two to explore Robben Island.
3. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda by Rogers Etimu (@Etimurogers, Uganda) who won a stay in Cidade Velha, Historic centre of Ribeira Grande.

Read more from source: Namib Sand Sea – First prize of heritage photo contest

THE Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has decided that no exploration of minerals will occur within the Namib Sand Sea World Heritage site at Sossusvlei in the Hardap region.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Namib Sand Sea as a world heritage site in Windhoek on Friday, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said all exclusive prospecting licences which existed for the site have not been renewed, after it was inscribed a heritage site on 21 June 2013 by Unesco.

“The government is committed to meeting its obligations by ensuring that activities that are not consistent with world heritage sites shall not be allowed to take place at this important site,” he stated.

At the time of the inscription of the site, only two mining exploration licences had been issued, but had expired, and could not be renewed due to the significance of the site.

The Namib Sand Sea is situated within the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which is the largest protected area in Africa with a size of 49 768 square kilometres. It is under the environment ministry’s management.

Read more from source: No exploration at Namib Sand Sea – Shifeta