Namibia's way to Marine Spatial Planning - Using existing practices or instigating its own approach?

Area of Science:

• Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)
• Ocean Governance
• Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Background:

• Namibia's territorial waters and EEZ are part of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem.
• Growing demands and potential conflicts exist despite relatively low current marine resource use.
• Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is adopted for sustainable ocean development and governance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the reality of Namibia's Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process.
• To identify distinctive attributes of the Namibian MSP approach.
• To assess opportunities and challenges within Namibia's specific context.

Main Methods:

• Investigated guiding research questions on the distinctiveness and context of Namibian MSP.
• Analyzed the country's approach considering environmental and socio-economic factors.
• Examined the integration with systematic conservation planning.

Main Results:

• Namibian MSP is characterized by a precautionary, forward-looking, and ecosystem-based perspective.
• The process emphasizes social equity, distributive justice, and strong collaborative governance.
• Despite challenges like limited resources and legislation, a clear framework for a marine plan has emerged.

Conclusions:

• Namibia's unique context shapes a distinctive MSP approach.
• The MSP process, though facing challenges, has successfully established a foundational framework.
• Continued development is needed to address legislative gaps and strengthen ocean governance links.