Namibia: Collaboration Regarding the Ecosystem of the Benguela Current

The United Nations Development Programme and ICEIDA have decided to support a human resources and training project which pertains to researching the ecosystem of the Benguela Current off the coast of Namibia, South Africa and Angola. The collaboration agreement was signed in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, last Friday.

According to Vilhjálmur Wiium, ICEIDA’s Country Director in Namibia, there is a consulting committee regarding the current with members from all three countries, the Benguela Current Commission (BCC). “The Director of BCC contacted ICEIDA’s country office last year and inquired about assistance,” says Vilhjálmur. “After some talks, which also included the UNDP, it was decided to support the committee regarding developments of human resources and training.”

For many years, ICEIDA supported a fisheries project in Namibia, and among others a project related to the Namibian Marine Research Institute. Vilhjálmur says that the Namibians have from 1995, in collaboration with their neighbours in south and north, built up an extensive research collaboration regarding the Benguela Current, especially pertaining to the ecosystem. “It is significant to all three countries that the resource is used in a sustainable way and therefore, the protection of the ecosystem is of utmost importance. Along with the UNDP, Icelanders support this research,” says Vilhjálmur.