E-waste Data and Statistics in Namibia

Within the context of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), SCYCLE is partnering with ITU to support Namibia in developing a national WEEE quantification assessment. In 2019, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of Namibia requested assistance from ITU for the development of a national WEEE management policy. Policy validation and implementation plans are currently ongoing, but the policy work also needs to be supported by reliable data.

Quantifying the WEEE generated in Namibia will be a fundamental step in ensuring both a proper understanding of the issue at the national level and that policies and guidelines are effectively implemented. With this purpose, SCYCLE will coordinate a workshop in May 2021 on WEEE data and statistics for Namibia, with aims of building national capacity in WEEE statistics principles and core indicators and, as well, improving the quality, understanding, collection, and interpretation of WEEE data. The workshop will bring together several different stakeholders involved in the WEEE sector to enhance cooperation and collaboration at the national level. The work conducted during and following the workshop will lay the foundation for continuously monitoring WEEE generation in Namibia, efficiently setting national targets, and ensuring integration of WEEE data in the policy cycle.

The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, which was trained in a workshop conducted by SCYCLE in 2018 and which will offer its experience through direct evidence of how the work on WEEE statistics can be implemented within a country and how it can improve the policy development to manage the sector.

On January 17, 2021, a meeting to kick off the activities on WEEE data and statistics took place with the participation of delegates from primary, relevant authorities in Namibia – including the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the Namibia Statistics Agency, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia, the Ministry of Finance, Customs and Excise, the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, the Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism, and the City of Windhoek.

The contribution of all stakeholders involved in the sector will be essential in helping Namibia apply its newly acquired lessons and insights from training on WEEE data and statistics, and the collaboration will help Namibia deal with increased quantities of WEEE in the years to come.