The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism will undertake regional stakeholder engagements on the draft sand and gravel mining regulations from 26 January to the end of February.

Environmental Commissioner Timoteus Mufeti said the Ministry has been working on the regulations to improve coordination and oversight of sand mining.

In 2021, the ministry drafted new regulations following national outcry over how sand and gravel extraction activities were conducted.

"We are talking about carbon markets and carbon trading. As a country, we need a regulatory framework to trade internationally. These were things not in the Act before—it's not static. We keep improving to address issues, manage land better, and close gaps for new sectors that came on board." 

The engagements will first be conducted in the Oshana, Kavango East, Zambezi, Kunene, Erongo, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Hardap, and ||Kharas regions.

"If we see gaps or reasons to go to other regions, we will do that. We try to focus on where sand mining is critical, then combine based on timing and resources. We will advertise the documents nationally and open a period for public comment."

All stakeholders are invited to attend the engagements and provide input on the draft regulations.

"They are the experts on the ground—business people doing sand mining for development. They will be affected by this law, so we want them to be honest, share suggestions, and ensure the final regulations reflect their views."

Currently, Namibia regulates sand and gravel mining through the Environmental Management Act of 2007. The Act requires an Environmental Clearance Certificate and a detailed Environmental Management Plan from the ministry before commercial operations commence.