MEFT rejects Schlettwein’s claims that charcoal threatens biodiversity

The ministry of environment, forestry and tourism (MEFT) has rejected concerns that Namibia’s charcoal industry is contributing to biodiversity loss, saying sustainable bush control can restore degraded rangelands and improve wildlife habitats.

The ministry’s response follows concerns raised by former agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, who warned that large-scale removal of woody vegetation through charcoal production could threaten species and reduce biodiversity.

Schlettwein questioned claims that charcoal production is a sustainable way of addressing bush encroachment, arguing that the conversion of woody areas into simpler grassland systems could result in the loss of species associated with trees and shrubs.

“The charcoal industry is portrayed as a sustainable way to utilize woody plants while simultaneously mitigating bush encroachment. It offers additional income to farmers. It claims to promote biodiversity,” Schlettwein said.

He argued that, apart from providing income to farmers, the environmental arguments used to promote charcoal production were questionable.

“Unfortunately, with the exception of generating income for farmers, all the promotional arguments are challengeable,” he said.

However, MEFT spokesperson Vilho Hangula said Namibia’s bush encroachment problem itself has significant consequences for biodiversity and agricultural productivity.

“It is a fact that due to past poor rangeland management, nearly 45 million hectares are affected by bush encroachment,” Hangula said.

He described bush encroachment as a form of land degradation that can affect biodiversity, agricultural productivity and groundwater resources, particularly where dense stands of similar invading bush species reduce vegetation variety.

According to Hangula, the ministry permits bush control activities but requires landowners and harvesters to retain 20% of the woody vegetation.

“MEFT allows for bush control targeting some bushes but 20% must be left on the land, transforming a land from bush-encroached to savanna,” he said.

Hangula disputed Schlettwein’s assessment that the removal of woody vegetation necessarily results in biodiversity loss, saying there was no evidence to support the claim.

On concerns that large trees are being targeted, Hangula acknowledged that the ministry has encountered cases of non-compliance.

“Yes, we are aware of non-compliance with some harvesters sometimes targeting trees with more than 18cm diameter at the base,” he said.

He said the ministry confiscates charcoal products and fines offenders when such violations are detected, while farmers and harvesters who comply with permit conditions continue to harvest trees within the prescribed sizes.

Hangula also pointed to Namibia’s charcoal exports to premium international markets as an indication that some producers are operating according to certification and legal requirements.

“About 270 000 tons were exported to the EU last year generating N$1.5 billion,” Hangula said.

The ministry also maintains that bush control can benefit wildlife by restoring areas to open savanna. Hangula said the ministry monitors rangeland areas restored from bush encroachment and has observed wildlife returning to such habitats.

“We see plain wildlife returning in those habitats and cheetah population increasing as they prefer open savanna to run after their prey,” he said.

He further argued that charcoal is only one component of Namibia’s broader bush-control industry, with woody biomass also being used to produce firewood, droppers, poles, biochar, wood chips and animal feed.

“Charcoal is just one of the value chains,” Hangula said.

Regarding regulation, Hangula said the ministry controls the use of woody biomass through a permitting system covering harvesting, transportation, marketing and exports.

Applicants must conduct biomass quantification before receiving a harvesting permit, after which the ministry monitors operations to ensure that only the permitted amount is harvested.

“At present only 10% of available bush biomass is currently used. There is still room to harvest more bushes,” Hangula said.

He also pointed to developments outside the charcoal industry that could increase the utilisation of woody biomass, saying NamPower is constructing a power plant at Tsumeb that is expected to use about 250 000 tonnes of wood chips annually.

He said this could contribute further to reducing bush encroachment.

However, Schlettwein’s concerns extend beyond the quantity of biomass removed, focusing particularly on the ecological consequences of removing mature woody vegetation and the potential loss of species dependent on such habitats.

He has also raised concerns about the conditions of workers involved in cutting and burning wood for charcoal, arguing that contract workers may have an incentive to maximise production by targeting larger trees.

“The workers employed to cut and burn are too often working as contract w