Namibia Workshop SANUMARC Univeristy of Namibia, Hentiesbay 3 - 5 June 2010

Presenter Biographies

THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY BACKGROUND REGARDING NON-FOOD
CROP PRODUCTION, BIO-FUEL PRODUCTION AND USE, AND ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY AND CO-GENERATION OF POWER IN NAMIBIA

Namibia has not yet enacted official legislation dedicated specifically to the regulation of biofuels, although the Government has indicated interest in the production of bio-fuels.

This lack of regulatory mechanisms on a national level is by no means unique to Namibia and reflects the international situation. Although international agreements specifically addressing bioenergy have yet to be developed, several existing international environmental conventions and protocols impose obligations on member states to take regulatory measures to address climate change and encourage the promotion of legal frameworks for bio-energy. Legislative and Policy initiatives are often combined in regulating this new sector of bio-fuels.

Recently, some countries have chosen to create a regulatory framework for bio-energy or bio-fuels by passing legislation specifically on the topic. In other situations, governments have expressed their commitment to promoting bio-energy by the formulation of policies that are not legally binding but designed to complement existing national legislative frameworks. Comparatively, there are more references to frameworks and policies on bio-fuels within the focused context of bio-energy.

The existing international framework and potentially applicably national Acts and legislation governing the production of bio-fuels in Namibia will be presented, together with recommendations. This will include a brief analysis of Namibia’s situation regarding the applicability and provisions of the relevant international Conventions and Protocols.

Presented by:

Ms Currie is an independent Marine Environmental Law consultant who has worked closely with Feike (Pty) Ltd (Natural Resource Management Advisors) in South Africa since 2004. She was the legal advisor for the WWF Marine Program from 2008 to 2009, and is the Legal Expert and Coordinator for Ecosystem-based Management in Namibia’s Marine Environment Project.  She has a Masters Degree in Marine Environmental Law from the University of Cape Town. Ms Currie has been involved in a number of high profile projects in the SADC region, including the Benguela Current Commission, Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project, Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia, SADC MCS & IUU, Namibia Coast Conservation & Management Project, to name a few. She assisted in drafting South Africa’s Aquaculture Act as well as other legislation and policy in South Africa and Namibia, and has was one of the driving forces behind the proclamation of Namibia’s first Marine Protected Area, the promulgation and gazetting of the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area. She has carried out numerous consultancies for international, regional and local institutions and businesses in the fields of environmental and marine environmental law. Ms Currie has recently been approached to act as a trustee for Namibia’s only coastal NGO, the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia (CETN).