Green hydrogen in focus

Community dialogues on the impact of mining, green hydrogen and other industrial developments will be held in Lüderitz, Rosh Pinah and Stampriet this month.

According to the organisers, the dialogues are intended to provide a platform for communities, including marginalised groups, to engage with experts, journalists and policymakers on environmental and energy-sector governance, transparency and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. The sessions, organised through the Eco Dialogue Collective Project, will bring together community members, experts and policymakers to discuss issues including water security, health, livelihoods and community development.

Focus areas – The Lüderitz dialogue was held on 18 September at the Lüderitz Youth Centre and will be followed by a session in Rosh Pinah on 22 September at the Community Hall. The final dialogue will take place in Stampriet on 25 September at the Stampriet Town Hall. All three sessions are scheduled from 08h30 to 14h00.

The Lüderitz dialogue provided residents of the harbour town and surrounding areas with a platform to examine the rapid industrial development associated with the proposed hydrogen valleys plan.

“The event aimed to ensure that the voices of affected fishing communities, indigenous groups and informal workers are central to the conversation,” said Zoe Titus, executive director of the NMT Media Foundation.

She said the dialogue addressed concerns including rising living costs, the impact of industrial development on traditional fishing grounds and the Tsau //Khaeb National Park, as well as equitable benefit-sharing and access to jobs and information.

In Rosh Pinah and surrounding areas, the dialogue will focus on mine-dependent contractors and their families, women and young people in the informal Skelly settlement, Beth-El Township residents and indigenous groups whose traditional lands are affected by mining.

Participants will be afforded an opportunity to share their experiences, concerns and recommendations regarding chronic lead exposure and other mining-related health and environmental risks, as well as potential economic opportunities for local communities.

The Stampriet dialogue will focus on the social, economic and environmental impacts of mining, particularly proposed in-situ leaching (ISL) activities in the region.

The engagement will provide residents of the town and surrounding areas with an opportunity to discuss potential risks associated with ISL mining, including groundwater contamination of the Stampriet Aquifer, soil degradation and possible long-term environmental and health impacts on farming communities and local livelihoods.

The project is funded by the European Union and is being implemented by the NMT Media Foundation, DW Akademie, the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Legal Assistance Centre.