Outlook
The long tradition of mining in Namibia has been renewed with the reopening of the Tsumeb-area copper mines and smelter, the opening of the Skorpion zinc project, the expansion of the fluorspar and the gold mines, and continued offshore diamond development of the past few years. Extensive exploration in Namibia for base metals, diamond, gold, natural gas, and uranium has been attributed, in part, to the rise in world commodity prices. Potentially new mine development and new value-added gemstone cutting and polishing, metal-processing, and other mineral-based manufacturing industries could maintain the mineral sector’s position as a significant segment of the economy of Namibia for the foreseeable future.
With a climate that is among the driest in the world, the lack of water resources will continue to be a constraint on mineral development in Namibia, as will the availability of fuel and electric power. New investment to develop the country’s natural gas resources and harness the hydroelectric power potential, and the recently proposed (2006) introduction of nuclear-powered electricity-generating plants, will influence the future economic growth of Namibia. The expansion of regional transportation infrastructure in northern Namibia could see the Port of Walvis Bay become an alternative route for mineral exports from southeastern Angola, Botswana, and Zambia.
Read more about this topic: Mining In Namibia
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