DOCSLIB.ORG

2011 Annual SEMP Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
2011 Annual SEMP Report Ministry of Mines and Energy Geological Survey of Namibia Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Central Namib Uranium Rush 2011 Annual Report February 2013 Prepared by Geological Survey of Namibia Financial Support: The Ministry of Mines and Energy, through the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, through the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) Project Management: The Division of Engineering and Environmental Geology in the Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy Status of Data Received: April 2012 Compiled by: Kaarina Ndalulilwa (GSN), Alina Haidula (GSN), Rosina Leonard (GSN), Israel Hasheela (GSN), Mary Hikumuah (GSN), Oscar Shaningwa (GSN), Dr Rainer Ellmies (BGR-GSN), Theo Wassenaar (NERMU), Mark Gardiner (Stanford University) Edited: Dr Gabi Schneider (GSN), Theo Wassenaar, Dr Joh Henschel (NERMU – Namib Ecological Restoration and Monitoring Unit) © Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy 2012 Citation Geological Survey of Namibia (2012). Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Central Namib Uranium Rush, 2011 Annual Report. Ministry of Mines and Energy, Windhoek, Republic of Namibia. Additional Information and queries to: The SEMP Office Dr Gabi Schneider Mr Israel Hasheela Geological Survey of Namibia Geological Survey of Namibia Ministry of Mines and Energy Ministry of Mines and Energy Private Bag 13297 Private Bag 13297 Windhoek Windhoek Namibia Namibia Tel: 061-2848242 Tel: 061-2848114 [email protected] [email protected] Ms Rosina Leonard Mr Oscar Shaningwa Geological Survey of Namibia Geological Survey of Namibia Ministry of Mines and Energy Ministry of Mines and Energy Private Bag 13297 Private Bag 13297 Windhoek Windhoek Namibia Namibia Tel: 061-2848157 Tel: 061-2848113 [email protected] [email protected] Copies of this report and the Strategic Environmental Assessment report may be obtained from the Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy. Electronic copies (pdf format) are available from the Uranium Institute website (www.namibiauraniuminstitute.com), the NERMU website (http://www.gobabebtrc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139&Itemid =136) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy website (www.mme.gov.na). ABBREVIATIONS BGR German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources BMR Bannerman Mining Resources EC Environmental Contract ECB Electricity Control Board EEC Employment Equity Commissioner EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EPZ Export Processing Zone EPL Exclusive Prospecting License EQO Environmental Quality Objective ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment FFI Fauna and Flora International GRN Government of the Republic of Namibia GSN Geological Survey of Namibia HERSS Health, Environment, Radiation Safety and Security HR Human Resources IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency ICRP International Commission on Radiological Protection LHM Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine LLA Landscape Level Assessment LTI Loss Time Injury MC Mining Commissioner MCP Mine Closure Plan MET Ministry of Environment and Tourism ML Mining License MoE Ministries of Education MoHSS Ministry of Health and Social Services MoLSW Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare MME Ministry of Mines and Energy MPMRAC Minerals Prospecting and Mining Rights Advisory Committee MVA Motor Vehicle Accident Fund NAA Neutron Activation Analysis NACOMA Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project NDP National Development Plans NIMT Namibia Institute of Mining Technology NRPA National Radiation Protection Authority PON Polytechnic of Namibia SANS South African National Standards SC Steering Committee of the SEMP SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Central Namib Uranium Rush SEMP Strategic Environmental Management Plan SME Small and Medium Enterprises SU Swakop Uranium RUL Rössing Uranium Limited RUN Reptile Uranium Namibia UNAM University of Namibia VTC Vocational Training Centre EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the time of completion of this report in January 2013, the uranium mining sector most closely resembles Scenario 1 (below expectations) as defined in the SEA. Rio Tinto Rössing and Langer Heinrich are the only two uranium mines in operation. Construction of Swakop Uranium’s Husab mine is expected to start in early 2013, while AREVA’s Trekkopje mine will be mothballed in June 2013 due to the low uranium price. The Bannerman, Marenica, Reptile and Valencia uranium projects have been postponed for the same reason, though Reptile’s iron ore mine may go ahead. This is the first annual report produced under the Strategic Environmental Management Plan for the Namibian Uranium Province, and covers the period up to the end of 2011. The SEMP Operational Plan (Annexure 1) currently has 12 Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) that are a collective proxy for measuring the extent to which the Uranium Rush is moving the Erongo Region towards or away from a desired future state. There are 38 desired outcomes, 46 targets, and 125 indicators spread across the EQOs. The EQOs each articulate a specific goal, provide a context, set standards and elaborate on a number of key indicators that need to be monitored. These collectively make up the SEMP which is the framework within which individual projects have to be planned and implemented, and within which a number of institutions have to undertake certain actions. The desired outcome is that the development and utilization of Namibia´s uranium resources will contribute significantly to the goal of sustainable development for the Erongo Region and Namibia as a whole. All indicators for the various Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs) have been assessed according to the following colour-coded system: Status: NOT MET IN PROGRESS MET EXCEEDED The focus of the report is on the assessment of compliance with the EQOs and how these were carried out. Relevant data are presented to support the assessment. Overall, indicators performed as follows: Status: 14 (11%) 41 (33%) 64 (51%) 1 (1%) Five indicators could not be assessed during this reporting period. Figure 1 shows the results for each EQO to identify sectors that did well and enable shortcomings to be brought to the attention for the responsible organisations. EQOs for which 100% of the indicators were MET are: EQO1 Socio-economic Development, EQO2 Employment and EQO6 Health, though the latter was mainly met in the private healthcare sector. Mostly MET with only one indicator IN PROGRESS were EQO8 Water and EQO12 Closure and Land Use. EQO11 Heritage and Future was mostly MET, only the ongoing research classified as IN PROGRESS brought down the overall rating. EQO10 Governance was MET or IN PROGRESS and will benefit from the matter of two impractical indicators being resolved before the next report. Of concern are those EQOs where some of the requirements were NOT MET. The highest number of six was reported for EQO3 Infrastructure and can be summarised as follows: 1) The D1984 between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay has not yet been tarred, 2) The average waiting time for a ship to berth is more than 12 hours, 3) and 4) Waste sites were not audited, 5) Hazardous waste sites did not only accept the waste classes for which they were licensed, and 6) There was no water and air quality monitoring at waste sites. The other underperforming EQOs each had one indicator NOT MET: EQO5 Air Quality and Radiation: There was no accredited weather station at Swakopmund, EQO7 Tourism: Not all EIAs included a visual impact assessment, EQO8: Ecological Integrity: Species i extinction risk was generally not addressed in EIAs, and EQO9 Education: The target of 50% of all English and science marks in Grade 10 and 12 examinations being a D or better was NOT MET. Figure 1: Summary of results for the 12 EQOs Eight indicators (6%) could not be assessed, because of lack of data or because they turned out to be impractical and/or represent duplication. This will have to be addressed before the compilation of the next report. As this report is the first of its kind, some problems inherent to first-time-attempts were experienced. As the stakeholder group is very large, submission of data was not necessarily in a standard format, and in some cases we were not able to obtain the required data. It is hoped that these problems will be ironed out with the compilation of the 2012 report. Following publication of this report it is expected that all stakeholders will take note of the results and attempt to address any shortcomings that were identified within their respective areas of influence. The aims of the SEMP to safeguard the Erongo Region while getting the most out of our natural resources can only be achieved by making every effort towards continued improvement. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to extend our gratitude to all those people who were fundamental to the SEA process, including those who deserved special mention, but were not acknowledged by name in the printing of the SEA report. We would also like to thank the SEMP Steering Committee members, who have been instrumental in the SEMP activities as well as for giving guidance through this process. Two persons deserve special mention because of their outstanding contributions, namely Sandra Müller of AREVA and Dr Wotan Swiegers of the Uranium Institute (UI). The UI in Swakopmund hosted the SEMP Steering Committee meetings. The UI working group has been in contact with the uranium industry and supplied much of the data to complete this report to the SEMP Office. ii Members of the uranium industry in Namibia have voluntarily increasingly applied the SEA/SEMP to guide their mine and exploration plans to minimize and manage potential environmental impacts. The Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) has laid the foundation for this report through their lead in developing the SEA and the SEMP. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 SEMP BACKGROUND 1 1.2 The SEMP 2 2. THE SEMP OPERATIONAL PLAN 4 3.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2011 SEMP Report
    Ministry of Mines and Energy Geological Survey of Namibia Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Central Namib Uranium Rush 2011 Annual Report February 2013 Prepared by Geological Survey of Namibia Financial Support: The Ministry of Mines and Energy, through the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, through the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) Project Management: The Division of Engineering and Environmental Geology in the Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy Status of Data Received: April 2012 Compiled by: Kaarina Ndalulilwa (GSN), Alina Haidula (GSN), Rosina Leonard (GSN), Israel Hasheela (GSN), Mary Hikumuah (GSN), Oscar Shaningwa (GSN), Dr Rainer Ellmies (BGR-GSN), Theo Wassenaar (NERMU), Mark Gardiner (Stanford University) Edited: Dr Gabi Schneider (GSN), Theo Wassenaar, Dr Joh Henschel (NERMU – Namib Ecological Restoration and Monitoring Unit) © Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy 2012 Citation Geological Survey of Namibia (2012). Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Central Namib Uranium Rush, 2011 Annual Report. Ministry of Mines and Energy, Windhoek, Republic of Namibia. Additional Information and queries to: The SEMP Office Dr Gabi Schneider Mr Israel Hasheela Geological Survey of Namibia Geological Survey of Namibia Ministry of Mines and Energy Ministry of Mines and Energy Private Bag 13297 Private
    [Show full text]
  • Unimagined. Unexpected. Unexplored
    Unimagined. Unexpected. Unexplored. OFFERING AN UNEXPECTED, OTHER- WORLDLY EXPERIENCE BOTH IN ITS LANDSCAPE AND THE REWARDS IT BRINGS TO TRAVELLERS, THE ARID EDEN ROUTE STRETCHES FROM SWAKOPMUND IN THE SOUTH TO THE ANGOLAN BORDER IN THE NORTH. THE ROUTE INCLUDES THE PREVIOUSLY RESTRICTED WESTERN AREA OF ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, ONE OF NAMIBIA’S MOST IMPORTANT TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH ALMOST ALL VISITORS TO THE COUNTRY INCLUDING THE PARK IN THEIR TRAVEL PLANS. The Arid Eden Route also includes well-known tourist attractions such as Spitzkoppe, Brandberg, Twyfelfontein and Epupa Falls. Travellers can experience the majesty of free-roaming animals, extreme landscapes, rich cultural heritage and breathtaking geological formations. As one of the last remaining wildernesses, the Arid Eden Route is remote yet accessible. DID YOU KNOW? TOP reasons to VISIT... “Epupa” is a Herero word for “foam”, in reference to the foam created by the falling water. Visit ancient riverbeds, In the Himba culture a sign of wealth is not the beauty or quality of a tombstone, craters and a petrified but rather the cattle you had owned during your lifetime, represented by the horns forest on your way to an on your grave. oasis in the desert – the Epupa Waterfall The desert-adapted elephants of the Kunene region rely on as little as nine species of plants for their survival while in Etosha they utilise over 80 species. At 2574m, Königstein is Namibia’s highest peak and is situated in the Brandberg Mountains. The Brandberg is home to over 1,000 San paintings, including the famous White Lady which dates back 2,000 years.
    [Show full text]
  • A Socio-Economic Analysis of the Lives and Livelihoods of the Kuiseb Topnaar
    A Socio-Economic Analysis Of The Lives And Livelihoods Of The Kuiseb Topnaar Munsu Lifalaza Abstract The Topnaar are a people living in- and outside of the Namib Naukluft National Park in the central Namib. The study, which aimed to characterize the Topnaar and update existing sources on them, collected data through socio-economic field surveys and interviews looking at aspects such as population structure, income status, sources of income and occupations. Most people living in the Topnaar community along the Kuiseb basin are adults and young ones. This group of people was known as pastoralists, hunter and gatherer. They also made use of sea resource but due to increase in commercializing fishing it is now impossible (Werner, 2003). The number of children is more than the number of adults in the Kuiseb because of the schools, which accommodate a substantial number of children from grade 1-7, although there are also some children who are not in school 6 1. Introduction This study looked at aspects of the Topnaar community such as education levels, health, interests, age and sex structures, income levels and sources. The project aims to draw a demographic report of the Topnaar, to assess the changes in their living styles and to determine what causes the differences in levels of development between different settlements. The detailed interviews capture their present and future interests on things that the wish to see in their settlement in future. After covering all these aims I updated some of the existing data on the Topnaar. Data collection was done through field interviews, which were divided into two parts: one of which was household interviews (visiting each household) and a second follow-up study on a selected number of individuals from households who were interviewed in detail.
    [Show full text]
  • Kurier 2015-1
    1 Inhaltsverzeichnis Seite Vorwort des Präsidenten 3 In eigener Sache 4 Reisebericht – 26. Okt. Bis 11. Nov. 2015 5 Einweihung Utuseb (Artikel Allg. Zeitung Namibia) 11 Livy van Wyk – Land of the Brave 12 Projekt von Sonja Pack in Witvlei (Taschen) 15 Projekte 19 Zeittafel „Südwestafrika/Namibia“, was geschah …… (2014) ……. vor 150 Jahren 20 ……. vor 125 Jahren 20 ……. vor 100 Jahren 120 ……. vor 75 Jahren 22 ……. vor 50 Jahren 21 ……. vor 25 Jahren 23 Zeittafel „Südwestafrika/Namibia“, was geschah …… (2015) ……. vor 150 Jahren 23 ……. vor 125 Jahren 24 ……. vor 100 Jahren 24 ……. vor 75 Jahren 25 ……. vor 50 Jahren 26 ……. vor 25 Jahren 26 2 Vorwort Liebe Mitglieder, Freunde und Sponsoren der DNEG, Nach einer anstrengenden Reise und mit einigem Erfolg sind Herr Kuhn und ich vergangene Woche aus Namibia zurückgekehrt. Die Reise führte uns von Windhoek nach Swakopmund, nach Utusep zu der Schule, an der Dr. Hausburg, Frau Charlotte Herzog und ich im Jahr 2001 die Einweihung des Speisesaales und der beiden Hostels für die die Jungen und Mädchen vornahmen. Wir weihten dort zwei weitere Schulräume ein, die aus Geldern anlässlich meines 70.ten Geburtstages gesammelt wurden. Gebaut haben diese zwei Klassenzimmer Lehrlinge von NIMT (Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology) unter der Leitung von Herrn Ralph Bussel, der heute als 2. Mann bei NIMT arbeitet. Bedankt haben wir uns bei den Lehrlingen und bei Herrn Bussel mit einem Mittagessen in Swakopmund. Das Team hatte hervorragende Arbeit geleistet. Weiteres können Sie aus dem Reisebericht von uns beiden lesen. Es war eine sehr gute Veranstaltung. Weiter fuhren wir nach Otjikondo, wo wir herzlich willkommen geheißen wurden.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of the Kranzberg Syncline and Emplacement Controls of the Usakos Pegmatite Field, Damara Belt, Central Namibia
    GEOLOGY OF THE KRANZBERG SYNCLINE AND EMPLACEMENT CONTROLS OF THE USAKOS PEGMATITE FIELD, DAMARA BELT, CENTRAL NAMIBIA by Geoffrey J. Owen Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science at the University of Stellenbosch Supervisor: Prof. Alex Kisters Faculty of Science Department of Earth Sciences March 2011 i DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitely otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Signature: Date: 15. February 2011 ii ABSTRACT The Central Zone (CZ) of the Damara belt in central Namibia is underlain by voluminous Pan-African granites and is host to numerous pegmatite occurrences, some of which have economic importance and have been mined extensively. This study discusses the occurrence, geometry, relative timing and emplacement mechanisms for the Usakos pegmatite field, located between the towns of Karibib and Usakos and within the core of the regional-scale Kranzberg syncline. Lithological mapping of the Kuiseb Formation in the core of the Kranzberg syncline identified four litho-units that form an up to 800 m thick succession of metaturbidites describing an overall coarsening upward trend. This coarsening upwards trend suggests sedimentation of the formation’s upper parts may have occurred during crustal convergence and basin closure between the Kalahari and Congo Cratons, rather than during continued spreading as previously thought.
    [Show full text]
  • URANIUM MINING in NAMIBIA the Mystery Behind ‘Low Level Radiation’
    URANIUM MINING IN NAMIBIA The mystery behind ‘low level radiation’ Labour Resource and Research Institute January 2009 Erf 8506, Mungunda Str Katutura, Windhoek P.O. Box 62423, Katutura Windhoek, Namibia Tel: + 264-61-212044 Fax: +264-61-217969 E-mail:[email protected] www.larri.com.na ResearchedHilma Shindondola-Mote and compiled by URANIUM MINING IN NAMIBIA The mystery behind ‘low level radiation’ I Labour Resource and Research Institute February 2009 Erf 8506, Mungunda Str Katutura, Windhoek P.O. Box 62423, Katutura Windhoek, Namibia Tel: + 264-61-212044 Fax: +264-61-217969 E-mail:[email protected] www.larri.com.na ISBN: 99916-64-92-0 Researched and compiled by Hilma Shindondola-Mote II Table of Contents Abbreviations.............................................................................................. v Acknowledgements ............................................................................ vi Executive summary ...................................................................................vii 1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background and purpose of the study .................................... 1 1.2. Research design ........................................................................ 3 2. Namibia: social and economic profile ................................................... 4 2.1. Employment and Unemloyment ...............................................5 3. Mining industry in Namibia .............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Existing Land Use Survey and Mapping in the Topnaar Community Along the Kuiseb River
    Existing Land Use Survey And Mapping In The Topnaar Community Along The Kuiseb River Salom Shomeya Abstract: The Topnaar people live in small settlements on the northern bank of the Kuiseb River in Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft Park, in the middle of the Namib desert. This study focused on investigating and mapping the land use activities taking place in Topnaar settlements. The project also looked into the legal land rights frameworks in the Kuiseb Topnaar community. The project was conducted in six settlements along the Kuiseb River. The purpose of this project was to identify the existing land use activities and social services/amenities provided to the Kuiseb Topnaar community. The project mapped the existing land use activities to produce the spatial layout map of every Topnaar settlement in the Kuiseb. Fieldwork and literature review have provided much information on the Topnaar community for this project. 21 1.INTRODUCTION The Namib Desert, the world’s oldest desert stretches along the Atlantic Ocean from the Kunene River, in the north, to the Orange, in the south. The desert is transected by the Kuiseb River, which rises in the central plateau of Namibia, some 20 km southwest of Windhoek, and flows down to reach the Atlantic Ocean, in the vicinity of Walvis Bay (David, 1969). The Kuiseb River makes human existence possible in the Namib Desert (Ross 1970). The lower Kuiseb valley is home to approximately 300 Topnaar. The Topnaar, or ≠Aonin, a Nama tribe, are subsistence farmers (although they also gather !nara and sometimes hunt), (Henschel et al, 2004) who live in small settlements on the northern bank of the Kuiseb River (Dentlinger, 1977).
    [Show full text]
  • PISC ES Env Ir Onmental Serv Ices (Pt Y) Lt D Namparks Coastal National Parks Development Programme – Cape Cross Desalination Plant
    ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR A CONTAINERISED DESALINATION PLANT AT THE CAPE CROSS RESERVE MARINE ECOLOGY SPECIALIST ASSESSMENT Prepared for SLR Environmental Consulting (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd On behalf of Lund Consulting Engineers Prepared by Andrea Pulfrich September 2020 PISC ES Env ir onmental Serv ices (Pt y) Lt d NamParks Coastal National Parks Development Programme – Cape Cross Desalination Plant OWNERSHIP OF REPORTS AND COPYRIGHTS © 2020 Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. All Rights Reserved. This document is the property of the author. The information, ideas and structure are subject to the copyright laws or statutes of South Africa and may not be reproduced in part or in whole, or disclosed to a third party, without prior written permission of the author. Copyright in all documents, drawings and records, whether produced manually or electronically, that form part of this report shall vest in Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. None of the documents, drawings or records may be used or applied in any manner, nor may they be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever for or to any other person, without the prior written consent of Pisces, except when they are reproduced for purposes of the report objectives as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken by SLR Environmental Consulting (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd. Andrea Pulfrich Pisces Environmental Services PO Box 302, McGregor 6708, South Africa, Tel: +27 21 782 9553 E-mail: [email protected] Website:
    [Show full text]
  • Ephemeral River Systems and Their Ecosystem Provisions to the Local Populations: a Review of the Huab and Ugab Rivers, Namibia
    Int. Sci. Technol. J. Namibia Shikangalah & Mapani/ISTJN 2021, 14:46-62. Ephemeral river systems and their ecosystem provisions to the local populations: A review of the Huab and Ugab Rivers, Namibia. Rosemary N. Shikangalah1,∗ Benjamin S. Mapani2 1University of Namibia, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Geography, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia 2Department of Mining and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 13388, Windhoek, Namibia ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Received: 23 September Ephemeral rivers have been the source of domestic and livestock water for millennia in Africa. 2020 In Namibia, crystalline and alluvial groundwater aquifers in ephemeral rivers are the only source Received in Revised form: supporting livelihoods. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature on these two 20 October 2020 ephemeral river systems, with a specific objective to investigate the knowledge gaps in these arid Accepted: 1 December 2020 areas of the Huab and Ugab ephemeral systems. These rivers lie in proximity of the marginal Published: 18 December populations and support a great number of livelihoods, and economic activities. The aridity dynamics 2020 are fundamental factors that influence ecological aspects of the ephemeral rivers that support at least Edited by KC Chinsembu one- fifth of the Namibian population. The rivers only flow for a period of two weeks per year, and Keywords: in wet years, some may flow for three weeks. The rivers have a highly evolved ecological system that Ephemeral Rivers is sustained by the high hydrologic variation which is the main ecological driver.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN SOILS OF THE WALVIS BAY – HENTIES BAY COASTAL AREA, NAMIBIA. A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA BY SIMON ANDREW SHIMBOYO JANUARY 2013 Supervisor: Professor James Akindele Oyedele (University of Namibia) ii ABSTRACT Naturally occurring radionuclides such as 238U, 232Th and 40K are present in the soil where they disintegrate spontaneously releasing ionizing radiation which could pose health hazards to the inhabitants of a given location especially when the concentrations of the radionuclides are high. In Namibia, the Walvis Bay – Henties Bay coastal area is known to have many mineral resources including uranium and therefore the concentrations of the radionuclides in the soils and the associated radioactivity may be high in some towns in the area. It is therefore important to study the concentrations of radionuclides and the radioactivity in the soils of the major towns in the area. In this study, the concentrations of the radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K and their progeny, and their contribution to natural radioactivity in the soils of six major towns in the Walvis Bay – Henties Bay coastal area have been determined. These towns are Usakos, Arandis, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Wlotzkasbaken and Henties Bay. A total of 305 soil samples were collected across the six towns and dried under laboratory temperature for 72 hours. These samples were pulverised and passed through a 2 mm mesh screen and sealed in 500 ml polythene bottles. The specific activities of the radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in the samples were subsequently analysed using a well-shielded high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector.
    [Show full text]
  • Dartmouth in Namibia ENVS 84 Final Reports 2015
    Dartmouth in Namibia Dartmouth College, Environmental Studies Program, Hanover NH USA October-November 2015 Table of Contents !Nara Phenology and Pollination ..................................................................................................2 References ..................................................................................................................................20 Appendix .....................................................................................................................................23 Towards a Comprehensive Environmental Education Program at Gobabeb: Case Study of Grade 7 Curriculum Development for the J.P. Brand School ................................................24 References ..................................................................................................................................46 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................49 Long Term Study of the !Nara Plant Year III: A Continuation and Expansion of Monitoring Methods ....................................................................................................................70 References ..................................................................................................................................87 Appendices .................................................................................................................................90 Vegetation Distribution and Livestock
    [Show full text]
  • Groundwater Quality Assessment in the Khan- and Swakop- River Catchment with Respect to Geogenic Background Concentrations of Dissolved Uranium
    Groundwater quality assessment in the Khan- and Swakop- River catchment with respect to geogenic background concentrations of dissolved uranium Hannover, July 2010 Commissioned by: i Author: Dr. Robert Kringel, Dr. Frank Wagner & Dr. Hans Klinge Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, BMZ) Project: Human Resources Development for the Geological Survey of Namibia, Engineering & Environmental Geology Subdivision BMZ-No.: 2008.2007.6 BGR-No.: 05-2332 BGR-Archive No.: 0129666 Date: July 2010 ii Summary Author: Dr. Robert Kringel, Dr. Frank Wagner & Dr. Hans Klinge Title: Groundwater quality assessment in the Khan- and Swakop-River catchment with respect to geogenic background concentrations of dissolved uranium Keywords: ephemeral river, geogenic background, groundwater, mine discharge, Namibia, uranium In 2009, 78 locations were sampled in the catchment areas of the ephemeral Swakop River and the tributary Khan River within the framework of a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) prior to new uranium mining activities. Samples were analysed for main components, dissolved uranium, and trace elements. Alluvial groundwater in the upper Khan and Swakop River catchments is freshwater of drinking water quality, whereas groundwater in the lower river catchment is saline. Nitrate concentrations are elevated yet below the WHO guideline value apart from a few exceptions. Potentially toxic trace element concentrations are without critical implications for drinking water quality. Drinking water samples from the municipalities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay meet the requirements of the Namibian and the WHO drinking water standards. Process and seepage water samples from uranium mines have elevated concentrations of uranium, arsenic and fluoride, manganese and a number of other trace elements like lithium, nickel and cobalt.
    [Show full text]