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At the launch of the 'Changing Climate, Changing Namibia' exhibition, environmental commissioner Theofilus Nghiltia urged locals to become ambassadors towards the struggle of combating climate change as Namibia is on the receiving end of its detrimental effects.
The Museums Association of Namibia (MAN) launched the educational exhibition funded by the Finnish embassy, with the aim of raising public awareness through the use of easy-to-understand terms to explain the work.
As guest speaker, Nghitila read a speech on behalf of the environment minister Pohamba Shifeta and said the initiative is in line with Namibia's climate change strategy and action plan. “The plan calls for different role players to engage in public awareness as Namibia is on the frontline of the countries facing the impact of climate change. The central message of the exhibition is for everyone to be smart, prepared and innovative. Also, the exhibition answers important questions and speaks on what action can be taken to help Namibia cope with the impact of climate change,” Nghitila said.
Nghitila also said that the weight of scientific evidence shows clearly that the Namibian climate is changing and will change further. “Namibia is going to get hotter and we are going to experience more extreme weather with both droughts and floods taking place more frequently. However, the lesson that is conveyed in this exhibition is that we should not be alarmed, we should be smart, we should be prepared and we should be innovative to cope with this change.”
The fact that the exhibition was aimed at young people pleased him, as they are the generation who will face the consequences if the world fails to act on climate change. He expressed his hope is that the exhibition will be mounted at parliament as it really helps to explain the impact of climate change on Namibia.
Dr Jeremy Silvester, MAN's project development manager, who worked on the exhibition with his team, said that museums should play an important educational role in communities and that exhibitions can be mobile museums that can reach places that do not yet have their own museums.
The mobile exhibition will travel to all 14 regions and Dr Martha Akawa, the vice-chairperson of MAN said that she hoped that some of the environmental studies present at the exhibition will act as guides when the exhibition travels to schools and other venues. She also said that it will make her happy if all those who visited the exhibition would leave as environmental activists.
Limba Mupetami
The Museums Association of Namibia (MAN) launched the educational exhibition funded by the Finnish embassy, with the aim of raising public awareness through the use of easy-to-understand terms to explain the work.
As guest speaker, Nghitila read a speech on behalf of the environment minister Pohamba Shifeta and said the initiative is in line with Namibia's climate change strategy and action plan. “The plan calls for different role players to engage in public awareness as Namibia is on the frontline of the countries facing the impact of climate change. The central message of the exhibition is for everyone to be smart, prepared and innovative. Also, the exhibition answers important questions and speaks on what action can be taken to help Namibia cope with the impact of climate change,” Nghitila said.
Nghitila also said that the weight of scientific evidence shows clearly that the Namibian climate is changing and will change further. “Namibia is going to get hotter and we are going to experience more extreme weather with both droughts and floods taking place more frequently. However, the lesson that is conveyed in this exhibition is that we should not be alarmed, we should be smart, we should be prepared and we should be innovative to cope with this change.”
The fact that the exhibition was aimed at young people pleased him, as they are the generation who will face the consequences if the world fails to act on climate change. He expressed his hope is that the exhibition will be mounted at parliament as it really helps to explain the impact of climate change on Namibia.
Dr Jeremy Silvester, MAN's project development manager, who worked on the exhibition with his team, said that museums should play an important educational role in communities and that exhibitions can be mobile museums that can reach places that do not yet have their own museums.
The mobile exhibition will travel to all 14 regions and Dr Martha Akawa, the vice-chairperson of MAN said that she hoped that some of the environmental studies present at the exhibition will act as guides when the exhibition travels to schools and other venues. She also said that it will make her happy if all those who visited the exhibition would leave as environmental activists.
Limba Mupetami
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