Related documents
- Is commenced by Commencement of the Environmental Management Act, 2007
Environmental Management Act, 2007
Act 7 of 2007
- Published in Government Gazette 3966 on 27 December 2007
- Assented to on 21 December 2007
- Commenced on 6 February 2012 by Commencement of the Environmental Management Act, 2007
- [This is the version of this document from 27 December 2007 and includes any amendments published up to 29 November 2024.]
Part I – Definitions and object of Act
1. Definitions
In this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise -“activity” means a physical work that a proponent proposes to construct, operate, modify, decommission or abandon or an activity that a proponent proposes to undertake;“Advisory Council” means the Sustainable Development Advisory Council established by section 6;“assessment” means the process of identifying, predicting and evaluating -(a)the significant effects of activities on the environment;(b)the risks and consequences of activities and their alternatives and options for mitigation with a view to minimise the effects of activities on the environment and to maximise the benefits and to promote compliance with the principles set out in section 3;“assessment report” means a report that presents the procedures and findings of an assessment;“authorisation” means an approval, licence, permit or other authorisation by a competent authority in respect of a listed activity;“biological diversity” means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including amongst others, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part, and this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems;“competent authority” means -(a)an organ of state which is responsible, under any law, for granting or refusing an authorisation; or(b)the competent authority identified in terms of section 30;“Criminal Procedure Act” means the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977);“environment” means the complex of natural and anthropogenic factors and elements that are mutually interrelated and affect the ecological equilibrium and the quality of life, including -(a)the natural environment that is the land, water and air, all organic and inorganic material and all living organisms; and(b)the human environment that is the landscape and natural, cultural, historical, aesthetic, economic and social heritage and values;“environmental clearance certificate” means an environmental clearance certificate issued in terms of section 34 or 37, authorising a listed activity to be undertaken;“Environmental Commissioner” means the Environmental Commissioner appointed in terms of section 16;“environmental officer” means an environmental officer appointed in terms of section 18;“environmental plan” means an environmental plan referred to in section 24;“Fund” means the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia established by section 2 of the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia Act, 2001 (Act No. 13 of 2001);“listed activity” means an activity listed in terms of section 27(1) or 29;“Minister” means the Minister responsible for environment;“Ministry” means the Ministry responsible for the administration of matters relating to the environment;“organ of state” means -(a)any office, ministry or agency of State or administration in the local or regional sphere of government; or(b)any other functionary or institution -(i)exercising a power or performing a function in terms of the Namibian Constitution; or(ii)exercising a public power or performing a public function in terms of any law, but does not include a court or a judicial officer;“Permanent Secretary” means the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry;“person” includes an organ of state;“premises” includes land and any building, structure, vehicle, ship, vessel, aircraft or container;“prescribe” or “prescribed” means prescribe or prescribed by regulation;“proponent” means a person who proposes to undertake a listed activity;“regulation” means a regulation made under this Act;“review” when used in Part VIII, means the process of determining whether an assessment has been carried out correctly or whether the resulting information is adequate in order to make a decision;“significant effect” means having, or likely to have, a consequential qualitative or quantitative impact on the environment, including changes in ecological, aesthetic, cultural, historic, economic and social factors, whether directly or indirectly, individually or collectively;“staff member” means a staff member as defined in section (1) of the Public Service Act, 1995 (Act No. 13 of 1995);“sustainable development” means human use of a natural resource, whether renewable or non-renewable, or the environment, in such a manner that it may equitably yield the greatest benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations including the maintenance and improvement of the capacity of the environment to produce renewable resources and the natural capacity for regeneration of such resources; and“this Act”, includes any notice or regulation issued or made under this Act.2. Object of Act
The object of this Act is to prevent and mitigate, on the basis of the principles set out in section 3, the significant effects of activities on the environment by -Part II – Principles of environmental management
3. Principles of environmental management
Part III – General functions and powers of Minister
4. Functions of Minister
The Minister’s functions are to -5. Powers of Minister in respect of waste
Part IV – Sustainable Development Advisory Council
6. Establishment of Advisory Council
There is established an advisory council to be known as the Sustainable Development Advisory Council.7. Functions of Advisory Council
The functions of the Advisory Council are to -8. Composition of Advisory Council
9. Term of office of members of Advisory Council
Subject to section 10, a member of the Advisory Council holds office for a term of three years and may be reappointed at the end of that term.10. Vacation of office and filling of vacancies
11. Meetings of Advisory Council
12. Administration of Advisory Council
13. Allowances of members of Advisory Council and committees
Members of the Advisory Council and of a committee of the Advisory Council who are not in the full time employment of the State are entitled to such allowances as the Minister, with the concurrence of the Minister responsible for finance, may determine.14. Disclosure of interest
15. Annual report
Part V – Environmental Commissioner and environmental officers
16. Appointment of Environmental Commissioner
17. Functions of Environmental Commissioner
18. Appointment of environmental officers
19. Entry and inspection
There should be an apostrophe after “persons” in the phrase “persons homes”. ]
(9) A warrant contemplated in this section may be issued on any day and is effective until -
(a) it is executed;
(b) it is cancelled by the person who issued it or, if such person is not available, by any person with similar authority;
(c) one month from the date of its issue; or
(d) the purpose for which the warrant was issued no longer exists, whichever occurs first.]
20. Compliance orders
21. Objections to compliance order
22. Offences in relation to environmental officers
Part VI – Environmental plans
23. Objects of environmental plans
The objects of environmental plans are to -24. Environmental plans
25. Approval of environmental plans
26. Compliance with environmental plans
Part VII – Environmental assessment
27. Listing of activities and prohibition in respect of listed activities
28. Exemption
The Minister may in a notice under section 27 make provision for the granting of an exemption in respect of an activity.29. Provisions relating to listing of activities
30. Procedure for identifying competent authorities
31. Effect of authorisations under other laws
Part VIII – Environmental assessment process
32. Application for environmental clearance certificate
33. Registration of application and determining whether assessment is required
34. Procedure where assessment is not required
35. Procedure where assessment is required
36. Review
37. Environmental Commissioner’s decision
38. Record of decisions
39. Amending conditions of environmental clearance certificate
40. Duration of environmental clearance certificate
41. Prohibition on transfer of environmental clearance certificate
42. Suspension or cancellation of environmental clearance certificate
43. Offences relating to this Part
Part IX – Special provisions relating to environmental assessments
44. Consultation
45. Appointment of external specialist
The Environmental Commissioner may with the approval of the Minister appoint an external specialist reviewer and may recover costs from the proponent in instances where -46. Assessment costs may be recovered
The Environmental Commissioner may order the proponent to pay prescribed fees or charges for all or part of the costs that are incurred by or on behalf of the Ministry, as the case may be, in carrying out an assessment under this Act.47. Access to environmental information
Organs of state are entitled to have access to prescribed environmental information held by any person where that information is necessary to enable such organs of state to perform their duties in terms of this Act or any other law concerned with the protection of the environment or the use of natural resources.48. International environmental agreements
The Minister may introduce legislation in Parliament or make such regulations as may be necessary for giving effect to an international environmental agreement to which Namibia is a party, and such legislation and regulations may deal with the following -Part X – General provisions
49. Delegation
50. Appeals to Minister
51. Appeal to High Court against Minister’s decision
52. Limitation of liability
The State or any other person is not liable for any damage or loss caused by -53. Offence by a body corporate and jurisdiction
54. Forfeiture and payment into Fund
55. Act to bind State
This Act binds the State.56. Regulations
57. Existing authorisation
58. Short title and commencement
History of this document
06 February 2012
27 December 2007 this version
21 December 2007
Assented to
Cited documents 5
Act 5
1. | Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 | 1942 citations |
2. | Public Service Act, 1995 | 308 citations |
3. | Police Act, 1990 | 242 citations |
4. | State Finance Act, 1991 | 153 citations |
5. | Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia Act, 2001 | 10 citations |
Documents citing this one 61
Gazette 42
Judgment 14
Act 3
1. | Banking Institutions Act, 1998 | 224 citations |
2. | Banking Institutions Act, 2023 | 22 citations |
3. | Whistleblower Protection Act, 2017 | 4 citations |
Government Notice 1
1. | Biosafety Regulations, 2016 |
Proclamation 1
1. | Suspension of Operation of Provisions of Certain Laws and Ancillary Matters Regulations |