Bush Clearing or Environmental Destruction: An Appeal for Care and Accountability

Infrastructure Development is a necessary part of a growing city.

Electricity poles, water pipelines and underground cables all serve important purposes. However, the installation of such infrastructure should not result in the unnecessary destruction of natural vegetation.

Unfortunately, it has happened far too often that what is intended to be a process of bush clearing becomes an exercise in environmental destruction.

Valuable trees and shrubs are removed indiscriminately, without sufficient consideration being given to whether they could be preserved.

A recent incident at Avis Dam is an example.

An area that is frequently visited by walkers who come to enjoy nature was ‘cleared’ to make way for the installation of electricity poles.

Workers equipped with chainsaws proceeded to cut down almost every tree and shrub in their path, including a young, healthy camelthorn tree that had been growing there for more than 50 years.

Greenspace, the organisation responsible for managing the Avis Dam area, was not informed by the City of Windhoek that this clearing operation was to take place.

We were, therefore, unable to intervene in time to prevent the unnecessary destruction of the vegetation.

What makes this incident especially difficult to understand is that the electricity poles could easily have been positioned to avoid the existing trees.

There appears to have been no compelling reason why these trees had to be destroyed.

We appeal to the relevant authorities to adopt a more responsible and environmentally sensitive approach to the clearing of natural vegetation.

Before trees and shrubs are removed, proper consideration should be given to alternative routes or positions, and the organisations responsible for managing affected areas should be consulted in advance.

The destruction of mature trees and natural vegetation should never be regarded as the default solution simply because it is the easiest or quickest option.

Windhoek is fortunate to still have areas of natural vegetation within and around the city.

These spaces provide important environmental, recreational and educational benefits to our residents and contribute to the character and beauty of our city.

Development and infrastructure are necessary, but they should not come at the cost of needless environmental destruction.

With proper planning, consultation and a greater respect for our natural environment, it should be possible to accommodate both.

– Vera Freyer is the chairperson of Greenspace.