The Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has announced that the ministry is developing standalone sand and gravel extraction regulations to strengthen enforcement, introduce penalties for illegal mining, and establish requirements for environmental clearance, site rehabilitation, and compliance monitoring.

She was responding to IPC MP Rodrick Likando, who asked what measures are being taken to curb illegal sand mining, enforce environmental regulations, and penalise non-compliant operators.

Daniel said the ministry had received 56 applications for Environmental Clearance Certificates, mainly from the Kunene, Hardap, //Karas, Zambezi and Omaheke regions.

However, illegal sand mining remains a concern, particularly in the north-central regions, where 15 cases have been reported.

With assistance from the Roads Authority, the ministry has also identified more than 30 borrow pits, mainly in the northern regions.

The minister highlighted awareness campaigns and nationwide environmental inspections, which revealed that various activities were being conducted without the required clearance certificates.