The Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme is conducting a strategic environmental and social assessment (SESA) for green energy production and industrialisation under the Southern Corridor Development Initiative.
This is as the Southern Corridor Development Initiative in the //Kharas region is set to become the heart of Namibia’s green hydrogen revolution.
Speaking at the media briefing on Friday, Eline Van Der Linden, head of human impact and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), highlighted the importance of proactively managing environmental risks amid Namibia’s rapidly evolving green energy landscape.
“With all these planned activities and ambitions in the green hydrogen sector, we must be mindful of potential environmental impacts. Whether in biodiversity or ecosystem services, the focus must remain on sustainability. Otherwise, why are we doing green hydrogen at all?” she questioned.
Van Der Linden added that, unlike traditional environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), which are project-specific and mandated under Namibia’s Environmental Management Act, the SESA takes a broader view.
It assesses cumulative impacts across multiple sectors and projects over a large geographical area.
While not currently required by law in Namibia, Van Der Linden said the decision to implement a SESA was driven by a firm commitment to responsible and forward-looking development.
“This will be the first SESA in the world to focus on green hydrogen and its link to both environmental protection and economic development,” she said.
The first area of study is the southern valley, where many activities are already happening or planned. These include oil and gas exploration, long-running mining, new tourism developments, some in and around the Southern National Park, and renewable energy projects like a new wind farm south of Lüderitz by InnoVent Diaz, expected to produce 40 to 50 megawatts of power.
“There are many different land uses competing in the same space. The SESA will help find the best balance, reducing harm to the environment while boosting the benefits to local people and the economy,” Van Der Linden added.
She said the aim is to help the government make smart, informed decisions about where and how to develop green hydrogen, considering nature, communities and the economy.
The SESA SCDI is currently being implemented by the Environmental Resource Management (ERM), under the guidance of a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
The assessment, which started in March this year, will be carried out over 12 months.
Danielle Sanderson, the Lead Social Scientist at ERM, said: “We are getting the scoping worked out in August and September for comment. Then we will go on to the baseline development towards September to be circulated and a draft document towards the end of the year, which is to be circulated at the end of next year with dissemination and capacity building to be ready by March 2026”.
The SESA SCDI is funded through a grant agreement between the Environmental Investment Fund and GIZ Namibia for the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme.
-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na
