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Namibia: Coastal Awareness Campaign Launched
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New Era (Windhoek)
4 August 2008
Posted to the web 4 August 2008
Charles Tjatindi
Walvis Bay
The Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) Project last week unveiled its new image comprising a brand and slogan, in line with its latest campaign to protect the fragile ecosystems along the coast.
The campaign aims to create awareness on the importance of the coastal environment, and encourage individuals to become partners in its sustainable development and conservation. The coastal awareness campaign, although only launched last week, it has been running for close to a year.
The campaign will be managed and run under the "COASTODIAN" brand - a combination of 'coast' and 'custodian'. The NACOMA coordinator, Timo Mufeti, said the brand would be used as a physical, tangible symbol to be recognised by individuals, institutions and businesses in the campaign efforts towards the sustainable development, management and conservation of the Namibian coast. The slogan of the new campaign will be "Taking Care of the Coast, Taking Care of the Future".
Mufeti explained that the campaign became necessary when it was relised that the majo-rity of Namibians and visitors do not have sufficient knowledge on the uniqueness of the country's desert, ocean and coastal areas where these two huge distinct ecosystems collide. He said this could be attributed to lack of information, information accessibility or lack of information in a language understandable to the individual concerned, among others.
"The problem of lack of coastal awareness has made it very difficult for many Namibians to first of all become interested in our coastal areas, become partners in our coastal areas' sustainable development and conservation, and to participate in economic, social opportunities offered by our coast and its resources and reap the benefits," he said.
NACOMA developed the COASTODIAN campaign with the assistance of the Government, through the line Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and in consultation with other relevant stakeholders. The NACOMA Project has been tasked with the provision of technical and financial support to the Government to address some key issues affecting the management of the country's coast. The project is due to end in 2011, upon which it hopes to have achieved its key objectives.
Namibia's coastal area, stretching 1570 km from the Kunene to the Orange rivers, is a remarkable national heritage, which accommodates unique biological and ecological diversity. A unique array of biological and ecological diversity including adapted plants and animals, rich estuarine fauna and a high diversity of migratory wading and seabirds are found along the Namibian coast.
The coast is also a centre for numerous desert species. The succulent Karoo biome of the southern coast has more diversity than any other desert in the world. Similarly, the Namibian coast accommodates around 1.6 million birds belonging to 73 species. The coastline between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay alone accommodates up to 770 birds per km of beach.
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According to Mufeti, the newly launched campaign will be marketed aggressively to ensure maximum impact and possible attitude and behavioural change towards the conservation of the coastal ecosystems. It would include the han-ding out of information pamphlets at roadblocks, newspaper articles, radio and television interviews, workshops and various sensitisation meetings.
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