The Namibian Ports Authority (NamPort) will provide N$3.7 million to the University of Namibia (UNAM) to conduct research on the Walvis Bay lagoon.

The Walvis Bay lagoon is one of Namibia's five Ramsar sites. Ramsar sites are wetlands falling under an international treaty, and countries are required to conserve and utilise these wetlands sustainably.

The lagoon is a critical ecological and economic zone that acts as a natural filter between the land and marine ecosystems of Namibia.

Local scientists say that the lagoon is vulnerable to significant pollution because it is close to the port and industrial activities.

The recently launched N$3.7-million research will therefore evaluate the health of the lagoon and trends threatening its existence.

"Mercury, cadmium, chromium, copper, and iron – all these elements are also released in industrial effluents and other maritime activities, and these can be absorbed by primary producers such as plankton, and they are eaten by the smaller fish and then by bigger fish. And as their concentrations become higher, they also become toxic to a lot of living organisms, so this can have an effect on, for example, the birds that feed on the small fish," explained Dr. Allan Mupambwa, UNAM's Head of Research at the Dr. Sam Nujoma Campus.

The research is an extension of phase one of an agreement between UNAM and NamPort to work together in support of Namibia's obligation under the Ramsar Convention.

Representing NamPort at the event, George Ndjitaviua, the acting manager of Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality, explained the importance of the project. "Our actions today will shape the future for both our communities and our environment. Together with UNAM, we will ensure that Walvis Bay Lagoon remains a vibrant, healthy ecosystem for generations to come."

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's Deputy Director: Wildlife Monitoring and Research, Kenneth |Uiseb, welcomed the initiative and urged UNAM to expand the project to other coastal wetlands like Sandwich Harbour.

"We talk about climate change, we talk about industrial development, we talk about economic growth, we talk about green hydrogen; most of these are huge industrial developments planned to take place along our coastline. We need to develop this baseline information that we can use to measure the impacts of all the changes that are likely to take place in the next five to 10 years along our coastline."

One of the end results of the research project is the creation of a management plan for saving the lagoon, which the ministry promised to adopt for implementation.