UNESCO will present the expert advisory report containing recommendations on in-situ recovery mining in the Stampriet area to the government.
The report titled The Impacts of Uranium Mining in the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System was compiled from stakeholder meetings held in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 13-14, 2024, and in Mariental, Namibia, on June 17, 2024.
Forty-two people attended the expert meeting in Pretoria, including international experts from Australia and the United States.
There were representatives from the UNESCO Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, the UNESCO Windhoek Office, the agriculture ministry, UNDP South Africa, ORASECOM leadership and secretariat, and water and environmental experts from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa.
The Mariental meeting drew 137 attendees,
including ministers, the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, Chiefs and Representatives of traditional authorities, local authorities, NGOs and mining companies, water experts, community members, and the media.
The meetings acknowledged that more baseline data and information must be available for a comprehensive assessment.
As a result, more scientific information is required to assess the impacts of in-situ leaching mining on the Stampriet Aquifer System. Furthermore, regulators and local academics were proposed to be trained in in-situ leaching and groundwater management.
The report will be presented to the government for careful consideration and to facilitate informed decision-making.
