Independent environmental monitoring and inspection of active mines.

Monitoring and assessment of risk potential of abandoned mines.

Contribution to coastal management, urban and land use planning.

Operation of environmental, rock and soil mechanical laboratories.

Steering the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Uranium Rush and Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) office

Soil samples are collected in area surrounding mining areas, analysed and plotted as contamination maps.

Water samples are collected in boreholes and surface water bodies in areas surrounding mining areas, and analysed for contamination.

SEMP - is a management plan intended to guide both uranium mining and other related industrial developments in the Erongo Region so that they do not unnecessarily compromise the natural, social, economic and physical environments.

Monitoring of Abandoned mines

• Exploitation of mineral deposits have a long history in Namibia, dating back to the early 1900s.
• This has left a legacy of un-rehabilitated mines scattered throughout the country
• The division of Engineering and Environmental Geology under the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) established a inventory consisting of ca 200 abandoned mines thus far, and is currently undertaking assessments of risks associated with these mines

Dormant Mines Map

Contribution to coastal management, urban and land use planning

The division contributes to landuse planning activities including:

• Development of landuse planning maps for area contaminated by mining activities
• Assessment of ground stability, and geological hazard mapping
• Advise on township and waste disposal sites establishment
• Contributing to the Coastal Sensitivity Mapping (CSM)
• Commenting on the New Township establishment plans from NAMPAB

Contamination mapping and Land Use Planning- Tsumeb

• Findings by the GSN indicated high As and other metals such as Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn closer to the smelter
• Recommendation by GSN is that; development should be directed in the S and SW areas where contamination levels are lower

Activities of the Engineering Geology Subdivision

• To map and assess areas with geotechnical/engineering geology related problems and therefore to provide sound geotechnical advice to stakeholders.
• To generate geotechnical and geo-environmental data utilized in providing relevant advice to both the private sector and the general public.
• Operation of the Rock and soil mechanic laboratories

Geotechnical Hazard mapping – House affected by the Pahl Fault

Operation of Rock and Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Products

• Maps
• Data
• Conference Material
• Reports