Ministry of Environment and Tourism

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Min Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment & Tourism

Min Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment & Tourism

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) is responsible for safeguarding Namibia’s environmental resources. MET has implemented far-reaching policy and legislation reforms within the environmental sphere.

The mission of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is to promote biodiversity conservation in the Namibian environment through the sustainable utilisation of natural resources and tourism development for the maximum social and economic benefit of its citizens.

MET Top Management
Minister – Hon. Pohamba Shifeta
Deputy Minister – Hon. Tommy Nambahu
Permanent Secretary – Dr Malan Lindeque
Deputy Permanent Secretaries – Heads of Departments

  • Mr Teofilus Nghitila – Deputy Permanent Secretary of Environmental Affairs/Environmental Commissioner
  • Ms Seimy Shidute – Deputy Permanent Secretary of Tourism, Planning and Administration
  • Ms Louisa Mupetami – Deputy Permanent Secretary of Natural Resources, Parks and Regional Services

Departments and Directorates

Department of Tourism, Planning and Administration

  • Directorate of Tourism and Gaming (DTG)
  • Directorate of Planning and Technical Services (DPTS)
  • Directorate of Administration, Finance and Human Resources (DAFHR)

Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Regional Services

  • Directorate of Regional Services and Park Management (DRSPM)
  • Directorate of Scientific Services (DSS)

Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)

MET strategic areas of operation and lead agencies

  • Promoting biodiversity conservation and wildlife habitats in Namibia and across landscapes and ensuring sustainable utilisation of wildlife resources (DRSPM)
  • Ensuring conservation and management of wildlife is maximally effected by applying sound scientific methodologies (DNRM)
  • Ensuring that Namibia’s environment, biodiversity and ecological processes are conserved, managed and sustainably utilised (DEA)
  • Ensuring the tourism and gaming industry is supported, regulated and contributes to socio-economic development in Namibia (DTG)
  • Ensuring effective planning, execution of programmes and development of infrastructure that contribute to sustainable environmental management and tourism development in Namibia (DPTS)
  • Strengthening and enabling environment and higher performance culture (DAFHR)

Parastatals and funds under the MET

  • Game Products Trust Fund: supporting programmes aimed at wildlife conservation and management and rural development
  • Namibia Wildlife Resorts: managing and controlling wildlife resorts in Namibia’s protected areas
  • Namibia Tourism Board: marketing Namibia internationally as a tourist destination, and regulating the tourism industry in Namibia
  • Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia: directing investment into environmental protection and natural resource management activities and projects which support the sustainable economic development of Namibia

International obligations

The MET serves as national focal point to the:

  • UN Convention on Biological Diversity
  • UN Convention to Combat Desertification
  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
  • Convention on the Illegal Trade of Endangered Species
  • Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
  • Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The MET is supported by the Global Environment Facility and a number of bilateral and civil society partners implement these Multilateral Environmental Agreements at the national level.