Bush encroachment on rangeland is causing massive economic and environmental damage in Namibia. It affects 30 to 45 million hectares, which is more than 30 per cent of Namibia’s land area. The most significant consequences of bush encroachment are reduced carrying capacity of rangeland as well as reduced groundwater recharge and biodiversity through habitat loss. Despite a range of efforts, the growth of land area affected by bush encroachment by far exceeds the area of restored land.
Bush encroachment, however, also provides an opportunity for economic development in Namibia. The accumulated biomass from bush thinning can be gainfully used, making it an economically viable resource for business. Multiple opportunities exist for bush-based value chains, such as firewood, charcoal, animal feed, bio-char or wood-plastic composite products, and especially the use of biomass for energy generation.
To foster the Namibian bush based biomass sector, the project on “Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation” (BCBU), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, is tasked to establish international development and technology partnerships. A Namibian biomass delegation will attend the Congress on Wood Energy in Würzburg on 26th September to network with key personalities from the public and private sector and to explore options of partnerships. Members of the delegation include representatives of Namibian Government Ministries such as Agriculture, Water and Forestry and Industrialisation and Trade, representatives from the logistics sector, from research and development institutions and specific biomass sectors such as the charcoal industry.
The Namibian delegation invites you to attend Block 4 on Thursday, 26th September. Inputs include an overview of the biomass opportunity in Namibia by Colin Lindeque, MD of the Namibian Biomass Industry Group (N-BiG) and an introduction to the concept of biomass industry hubs by Prof Peter Heck, Head of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) of the University of Trier.
For further information, please be invited to connect with the Namibian delegation at the information stalls. As immediate contact number, please accept: Frank Gschwender, GIZ BCBU, Component leader Technology Transfer Germany (frank.gschwender@giz.de or +49 (0)152 900 11 530).
Bush encroachment, however, also provides an opportunity for economic development in Namibia. The accumulated biomass from bush thinning can be gainfully used, making it an economically viable resource for business. Multiple opportunities exist for bush-based value chains, such as firewood, charcoal, animal feed, bio-char or wood-plastic composite products, and especially the use of biomass for energy generation.
To foster the Namibian bush based biomass sector, the project on “Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation” (BCBU), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, is tasked to establish international development and technology partnerships. A Namibian biomass delegation will attend the Congress on Wood Energy in Würzburg on 26th September to network with key personalities from the public and private sector and to explore options of partnerships. Members of the delegation include representatives of Namibian Government Ministries such as Agriculture, Water and Forestry and Industrialisation and Trade, representatives from the logistics sector, from research and development institutions and specific biomass sectors such as the charcoal industry.
The Namibian delegation invites you to attend Block 4 on Thursday, 26th September. Inputs include an overview of the biomass opportunity in Namibia by Colin Lindeque, MD of the Namibian Biomass Industry Group (N-BiG) and an introduction to the concept of biomass industry hubs by Prof Peter Heck, Head of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) of the University of Trier.
For further information, please be invited to connect with the Namibian delegation at the information stalls. As immediate contact number, please accept: Frank Gschwender, GIZ BCBU, Component leader Technology Transfer Germany (frank.gschwender@giz.de or +49 (0)152 900 11 530).
