Conservation
and the Environment in Namibia

The New Red Data Book for Namibia

Carnivore conservation scientists in Namibia have collaborated to produce a Red Data Book for the country. Their assessments will help identify which carnivores are most threatened in Namibia and what we can do to conserve them, from black-footed cats to lions. Read more...

Namibia is turning the tables on wildlife poachers who are trying to steal our natural heritage. A new collaborative team called Blue Rhino has achieved enormous success since its establishment in 2018. Their intelligence-based strategy that includes Namibian citizens has poachers on the run. Read more...

A Community-based Approach to Protect Namibia’s Freshwater Fish

The Namibian Nature Foundation is working with conservancies in the Zambezi Region to establish Fisheries Reserves under new supportive legislation by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. Read more...

How localised e-mobility solutions are changing the face of conservation

Conservancy game guards have to cover large areas to fulfil their responsibilities of monitoring wildlife and prevent poaching. SunCycles Namibia has provided solar-powered e-bikes that make travelling through thick sand or over long distances much easier. Read more...

Conflict between livestock farmers and carnivores poses a key threat to cheetahs in Namibia. The Cheetah Conservation Fund celebrates 25 years of breeding livestock guarding dogs for local farmers to reduce their losses to cheetahs and other carnivores. Read more...

A Unique Namibian Partnership for Sustainable Development

The Chamber of Mines and the Namibian Chamber of Environment have joined forces to create environmental Best Practice Guidelines for the mining sector. They have further established a funding mechanism for sustainable development projects benefitting people and the environment. Read more...

Namibia is urbanising rapidly, but most towns are not prepared for rapid expansion. This leads to expanding informal settlements that have negative social and environmental impacts. Urbanisation can be a good thing for Namibia, but we must do more to accommodate those seeking a better life. Read more...

Namibia’s Environmental Information Service

The EIS is Namibia’s one-stop-shop for environmental information. Established 15 years ago, this online platform has expanded to include a citizen science Atlasing feature, a scientific journal and an extensive library of environmental information. Read more...

Recent Insights into Improving Namibian Rangeland Productivity and Biodiversity

A number of recent scientific studies published in the Namibian Journal of Environment tackle the thorny topic of bush “encroachment”. Scientists are divided over how to tackle the problem. Dive into the debate here. Read more...

Mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development

The Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust’s “It’s Time to Grow” booklets teach children about sustainable development. They are working with Namibian teachers to translate these materials into their mother tongues and make the most out of these booklets. Read more...

Teaching Namibia’s Far-Flung Teachers

EduLink is taking the latest innovations in environmental education to teachers living in Namibia’s remote rural areas. Their mobile classroom has brought teachers from far-flung locations together to sharpen their teaching skills. Read more...

Attaching tracking devices to wild animals may seem a bit intrusive, but the information we gain from this technology is worth it. Researchers using these devices on a wide variety of species in Namibia and neighbouring countries came together to share their insights and experiences. Read more...

Keep Calm and Work Together!

Rural farmers often struggle to live with elephants in Namibia’s north-western Kunene Region. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has stepped in to assist them by providing more information on elephant movements and developing ways to prevent further conflict. Read more...

Migration of plains zebra from Namibia to Botswana

Researchers in Namibia and Botswana investigating the ‘mystery of the disappearing zebra’ stumbled upon the world’s longest zebra migration. Why the zebra travel so far remains a mystery, yet emphasises the need for trans-boundary conservation efforts. Read more...

Pack your high-tech equipment to generate big data!

Biologists at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research are adapting devices used in smart-watches and phones to find out more about cheetah behaviour and movements in Namibia. Read more...

Why Namibia’s Critically Endangered blind cave catfish needs more research attention

A tiny population of a unique, completely blind catfish species occurs in only one underwater cave near Otavi in Namibia. A research team is finding out more about this fish and its cave ecosystem to ensure its future survival. Read more...

The Mountain Zebra Project uses camera traps to take photographs of zebras that can be individually identified using their stripe patterns. This long-term project provides ecological insights to inform conservation actions for these desert-dwelling zebras. Read more...

An island off the coast of Angola supports surprising numbers of Cape Cormorants, with a six-fold population increase in just 12 years. This Endangered species is declining elsewhere, so this island offers hope for the future, provided fish-stocks are adequately protected. Read more...