Blog
News, views and true stories from Namibia
From Spectators to Shareholders: How Namibian Communities Can Capitalise on Tourism Opportunities
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Communal conservancies currently enter joint-venture partnerships with photographic and hunting tourism, which leads to some people asking why they don't make more money from this industry. In this article, Generose Korukuve looks at the many barriers facing local communities that want to participate directly in community-based tourism and charts a path towards greater autonomy and benefits in future. The ideal situation of communities becoming shareholders in tourism businesses will take time and effort, but it is achievable.
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Namibia's decision to cull 723 wild animals to feed its people strikes a good balance
Namibian Chamber of Environment
In the wake of the worst drought this century, the Namibian government recently announced the culling of 723 wild animals to provide meat for people suffering high levels of food insecurity. This announcement was met with international outcry fueled by misinformation spread in the media. Here, the Namibian Chamber of Environment expresses its support for the government's decision, given the context of drought and sound wildlife management practices.
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Ineffective and unscientific wildebeest regulations are harming Namibia's economy
Namibian Chamber of Environment
In Namibia, wildebeest carry a disease known as Malignant Catarrhal Fever, or snotsiekte, that occasionally causes deaths in cattle. To reduce this risk, the Directorate of Veterinary Services insists that all wildebeest owners erect two fences 10 metres apart between their animals and cattle. These regulations are ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst, according to veterinarian Dr Ulf Tubbesing.
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Marching to a better Namibia with black soldier flies
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Black soldier flies turn organic waste into useful agricultural products, while simultaneously reducing green house gas emissions and creating jobs. This little insect that has taken the agricultural world by storm is now in Windhoek, Namibia! A new company called Biocycle established a black soldier fly farm with funding from the Namibian Chamber of Environment to pilot the idea. Read this article to discover how black soldier flies work and what plans are in place for future national expansion.
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Embracing the Wild: Namibian Farmers' Shift Towards Wildlife Ranching
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Namibia is getting hotter and drier, making it less useful for livestock farming and putting pressure on people to adapt their agricultural practices in order to survive. The use of wildlife that are naturally adapted to arid conditions as a source of income and food is a promising way forward as part of Namibia's climate adaptation strategy. Research around and within Etosha National Park shows that when people see wildlife as an asset it can be a game-changer for conservation and livelihoods.
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Hopping into the limelight: Newly described Beytell's bullfrog underlines the importance of the Nyae Nyae-Khaudum pans
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Beytell's bullfrog is the biggest frog to be described by scientists worldwide in the last 104 years! This impressive amphibian was collected and studied in the Nyae-Nyae Khaudum Pans as part of a survey to show that this remote part of Namibia should be declared a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The bullfrog is named after Ben Beytell, former Director of Parks and Wildlife, who was passionate about this landscape and the Ju/'hoansi San people who call it their home.
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Navigating Hunger: How seabirds have adapted to Namibia's depleted fish stocks
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Namibia's seabirds are in trouble, mainly due to the massive decline in fish stocks over the last few decades off our coastline. Fish declines have also reduced jobs in the fisheries sector and affected the national economy. If fishing pressure is reduced the birds will start to bounce back, and the fishery sector may also start to recover. In this article, we show how monitoring specific aspects of four different seabird populations can be used to indicate the health of our fish stocks.
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Promoting transparency, public participation and understanding of the Environmental Impact Assessment process in Namibia
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Public trust in Namibia's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process seems to be at an all-time low, with many complaints and protests occurring after development projects have been given the green light. The new EIA Tracker website will increase transparency and public engagement with development projects during and after the EIA process in order to minimise environmental and social impacts. In particular, high risk development projects require careful public scrutiny to ensure sustainable development.
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The Surprising Impact of Sharks on Namibia's Marine ecosystem health and Climate Change
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Sharks are well-known for their fearsome reputation, but did you know that they have an important role to play in the ecosystem? As the apex predators of the ocean, they even help mitigate climate change! Namibia boasts 52 shark species, many of which are under-studied. The new Namibia's Rays and Sharks project was established to discover more about sharks in our waters and create awareness about the threats they face and their role in the marine ecosystem.
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Namibia's elephant numbers confirmed by regional aerial survey
Namibian Chamber of Environment
An elephant survey covering 60% of the massive 519,912 square kilometre Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area was completed in late 2022 and the results released in 2023. This survey includes the northeastern part of Namibia and parts of four neighbouring countries. These results confirm that the Namibian elephant population is healthy and stable, while the areas surveyed also host numerous other wildlife species in protected areas and communal conservancies.
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How climate change threatens the coexistence between communities and the Kunene highland elephants
Namibian Chamber of Environment
A small sub-population of elephants living in the Kunene highlands have adapted remarkably well to traversing rocky, mountainous terrain where few other elephants would tread. The people of Orupupa Conservancy have managed to coexist with elephants until the recent drought increased human-elephant conflict, which is a harbinger of worse droughts to come due to climate change. The community game guards and a new funding partner provide hope for a future of coexistence despite the changing climate.
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Can conservation and agriculture work together for inclusive regional development in the Zambezi Region?
University of Cologne/London School of Economic and Political Science
Wildlife conservation and agriculture are ordinarily seen as opposing sectors, since wildlife can damage crops and livestock, while conservation zones usually exclude farming. The impact of COVID-19 caused conservancies in the Zambezi Region to re-examine their relationship with the agricultural sector and has opened some doors for future collaboration between these sectors. Carolin Hulke researched the needs of farming conservancy members and how their conservancies can assist them to create a broader base of beneficiaries from community-based natural resource management.
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How to increase the contribution of community conservation to rural development in Namibia
University of Cologne
Dr Linus Kalvelage uses insights from his research on tourism in communal conservancies in the Zambezi Region to suggest ways to improve the current state of community-based natural resource management in Namibia. He explores options for increasing income from wildlife products and using current tourism revenue to invest in other economic sectors, thus creating a more resilient regional economy.
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Getting to know Namibia's new marine visitor: Eight things you didn't know about Green Sea Turtles
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Did you know that a green turtle was found nesting on Namibia's shores for the first time ever in 2020? This is exciting news since this endangered species is threatened in many of its nesting sites elsewhere on the west coast of Africa. The Kunene River Mouth where this turtle was found is protected and remote, thus reducing the chance of humans disturbing turtle nests. Here are eight things you should know about this species of sea turtle.
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Conservancies in Namibia need to look beyond tourism to drive rural development
University of Cologne
Communal conservancies in Namibia rely heavily on photographic and hunting tourism income to fund their activities and generate benefits for their members. However, this income is not enough to provide substantial returns for all rural households living in conservancies. In this first of two articles, Dr Linus Kalvelage shares insights from his research in the Zambezi Region on how much money from tourism remains in the region and where it goes.
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Fishing with lions: How Namibian anglers and desert-adapted lions share the Skeleton Coast
Namibian Chamber of Environment
The desert-adapted lions in north-west Namibia have rediscovered the marine food resources along the Skeleton Coast, which is great news for their long-term survival. Their coastal movements created conditions for a different kind of human-lion conflict, however, as sea fishermen use the same area during the fishing season. Constant monitoring and awareness campaigns during the 2022/23 fishing season kept both lions and fishermen safe.
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Solving the fairy circle mystery using scientific evidence
The Fairy Circles of the Namib Desert are an excellent subject for scientific research. Scientists have posed several theories about what causes these bare patches of sand and maintains them over time. Dr Stephan Getzin weighs in on the subject based on many years of field research, data collection and analysis. Unconvinced of the sand termite and Euphorbia hypotheses, he argues for plant self-organisation.
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The Lions of Etosha: A Brief History
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Etosha National Park has a long history that includes changing boundaries, building a fence and establishing permanent water holes. Etosha's lions have adapted to the changing conditions and survived in the face of prey declines and persecution due to human-wildlife conflict. This article unpacks the history of lions in Etosha drawing from a scientific paper in the Namibian Journal of Environment.
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What drives human-wildlife conflict in communal conservancies?
Human-wildlife conflict poses a major challenge to Namibian community conservation efforts. As part of her PhD research, Marina Tavolaro collected data on livestock losses, crop raiding, infrastructure damages and human attacks across 79 conservancies in Namibia during 2001-2019. She established which species cause the most damages in which parts of Namibia, which seasons are the worst for conflict with different species and what other environmental factors were linked with high levels of human-wildlife conflict.
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//Huab Conservancy prepares to take Minister Pohamba Shifeta to court
Mining activities in the //Huab Conservancy are threatening endangered black rhinos and have caused the only lodge in their area to shut down. The Environmental Impact Assessment was incomplete and ignored the impacts of mining on rhino-based tourism. Despite repeated attempts to stop the mining project and appeals to the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) to intervene, nothing has happened. The conservancy is therefore preparing to take MEFT to court to fight for their livelihoods and the rhinos that are part of the MEFT custodian programme.
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Investigating human-wildlife conflict beyond conservancies
Most of the research on human-wildlife conflict in Namibia has been done on communal conservancies. Herman Aindongo's research into conflict on non-conservancy land therefore helps to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge. He found that farmers outside conservancies experience significant levels of conflict and are therefore in need of assistance.
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Investigating a little-known biodiversity hotspot
Enviro Science
South of the small town of Warmbad in Southern Namibia lies a little-known biodiversity hotspot located where the Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo biomes meet. Antje Burke reports on her plant survey in this hotspot within the Orange River-Karoo Conservation Area, which comprises several private farms that are managing the land for conservation purposes. What she found exceeded even her most optimistic expectations - high plant diversity and several key populations of rare and protected plant species.
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Namibian Teachers become pioneers of Education for Sustainable Development
Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust
Education for Sustainable Development is crucial to conservation. Children need to understand the importance of the environment and find out what they can do in their daily lives to reduce their impact and improve the state of the natural world. The most effective way to reach children is through passionate, inspired and empowered teachers. Find out how the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust is creating a network of such teachers across Namibia.
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Announcing the Winners of Namibia's First GOSCARS
The inaugural GOSCARs (Grass-Roots Owen-Smith Community Rangers Awards) event was held on the 7th of April to recognise the commitment and hard work of four conservancy field workers. This event is held in honour of the late Garth Owen-Smith, who was among the early pioneers of community conservation in Namibia. This year's winners include two rhino rangers, a lion ranger and a Field Officer who continue are dedicated to carrying out their duties and mentoring others in the field.
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Have We Learned Anything from Fishrot?
The fishrot scandal revealed major flaws in the way Namibian marine fisheries are governed, particularly relating to the allocation of fishing quotas. The subsequent overfishing has left key economically and ecologically important fish stocks severely depleted, with severe consequences for livelihoods and marine conservation. The management of fisheries must change fundamentally if Namibia is to prevent future scandals of this nature and restore the marine ecosystem on its shores. Dr Chris Brown proposes a way forward for improved fisheries management.
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The Role of Rolling Zebras in the Desert Ecosystem
Did you know that a rolling zebra makes a measurable impact on the desert environment? Hartmann's mountain zebras are near endemic to Namibia, where they occur widely on the western escarpment. Their habit of rolling in the dust creates important microhabitats for plants and animals. A new scientific study reveals how this works.
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Evaluating the Results of Namibia's Elephant Auction
Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has auctioned 37 elephants, 22 of which were exported to captivity in the United Arab Emirates. This article provides the basic facts of the matter and evaluates the consequences of this decision as it relates to elephant conservation, welfare and legality.
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It's about time, not distance – flying for rhino and elephant conservation
Flying in a light aircraft over the spectacular desert landscape of the Kunene Region can be hazardous. Nonetheless, pilot Conrad Brain spent several weeks making regular flights over the Christmas period on the lookout for potential rhino poachers and elephants. He describes the flying experience and his part of this joint operation to protect Namibia's special desert-adapted species.
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Why the Namibian moratorium on sardine fishing must continue
The sardine fish stock off Namibia's coastline collapsed by 99.5% between the 1960s and 2015, prompting the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) to impose a three-year moratorium on sardine fishing in 2018. It is now time to review the moratorium, but it is clear that this fish stock has not recovered sufficiently to sustain any level of commercial fishing. Three seabird species provide ideal indicator species for sardine stocks, and none of these have recovered. Keeping the moratorium in place until the ecosystem recovers is therefore essential.
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Climate Change in Namibia Part 4: Local Actions
Namibian Chamber of Environment
In the final article of our series on climate change in Namibia, we consider a few of the ways that rural Namibians can adapt to projected climate conditions. These include the sustainable harvest of bush, agricultural diversification and conservation agriculture. Developing a strong wildlife economy and markets for valuable non-timber forest products will also have positive impacts on rural livelihoods and biodiversity.
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Climate Change in Namibia Part 3: National Actions
Namibian Chamber of Environment
World leaders, including Namibia's President Dr Hage Geingob, are currently attending the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties. In this third article on climate change, we outline a plan that the government can implement to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Adapting to climate change is particularly important to reduce the vulnerability of our rural communities.
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Climate Change in Namibia Part 2: Current and Projected Changes
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Namibia is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change. Climate projections reveal that Namibia will become hotter faster than most other countries, with subsequent increasing frequency of drought conditions. Climate change will intersect with how the land is used and managed to determine Namibia's future.
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Climate Change in Namibia Part 1: Defining the Terms
Namibian Chamber of Environment
The science and politics of climate change are complex and could be overwhelming for the interested layperson. In this first article in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties in Glasgow this year, we unpack some of the most common terms used in this field.
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Understanding the Kunene Wildlife Numbers
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Associations (NACSO)
Community conservation in the Kunene Region has been criticised due to recent wildlife declines reported by the Namibian Association of CBNRM Organisations (NACSO). In response to the critics, NACSO explains how the data are collected and outline possible reasons for the decline. They put these numbers into context and reveal why the CBNRM programme remains resilient despite the drought and COVID-19.
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How do you like your meat? Unleaded, please!
Lead is a toxic substance to humans and all other biological organisms, yet it is still used in bullets and fishing sinkers. Lead bullets fragment into hundreds of tiny pieces upon impact. These fragments pose a threat to game meat consumers, including people and scavenging species like vultures. Namibian stakeholders are working together to switch to lead-free bullets as a matter of urgency for the sake of human health and the environment.
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Can we take the Angolan giraffe back to Angola?
Despite their name, the Angolan giraffe no longer occurs in Angola, as it was eradicated during the 40-year conflict in that country. Hope remains, however, as Namibia's population of Angolan giraffe is thriving. Jackson Hamutenya investigated whether or not Iona National Park in Angola will be suitable for a giraffe introduction from Namibia. Read all about his findings here.
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Recognising community rangers in honour of Garth Owen-Smith
In the early 1980s Garth Owen-Smith joined forces with traditional leaders and rural communities in Namibia to stop poaching. Together they did something unthinkable at the time - employ people from within rural communities to look after wildlife on behalf of their people. Community rangers thus sit at the heart of Namibia's community-based conservation success story. A new annual awards event for community rangers is thus a fitting memorial to this conservation giant.
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The plot thickens – Euphorbia bushes do not cause fairy circles
Following the recent revival of the theory that Euphorbia bushes cause fairy circles in the Namib Desert, a team of researchers revisit dead Euphorbia bushes after 40 years to show that this is not the case. Based on this and other evidence, they suggest that neither Euphorbias nor termites explain the phenomenon of fairy circles.
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Brandberg Lion Attack – a minor drama in a complex conservation landscape
When a desert-adapted lion attacks Helge Denker in his tent near Brandberg, it sets him thinking about the complex situation these lions find themselves in today. Lions are coming ever closer to human settlements after the recent drought followed by scattered rainfall that dispersed their few remaining prey. Communal conservancies bear the brunt of the resulting conflict, but is there a way to create real benefits from these lions? Managing the situation will be difficult, but today we have better knowledge and systems in place to handle it.
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It's not too good to be true – Elephants are thriving in Namibia
Namibian Chamber of Environment
African savannah elephants are declining in many countries, but not in Namibia, where their numbers are increasing. This good news has been met with some scepticism and questions have been raised about how elephants are counted in the country. Here, the methods used for counting elephants using aerial surveys are described and the oddly controversial issues surrounding these counts are addressed.
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Spotty cats, solid data – Namibia's first national cheetah survey
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research of Berlin
The Namibian cheetah population is critical to the long-term survival of this species. This nation-wide survey based on thorough understanding of cheetah movement ecology is therefore a highly welcome development. A more accurate population estimate will be valuable for guiding future cheetah conservation efforts.
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Are Namibian Fairy Circles Euphorbia Tombstones?
Namibian Chamber of Environment
A new study brings to light a possible cause for Namibia's fairy circles
– large succulent bushes called Euphorbias. These plants produce highly toxic milky white latex that inhibits the germination and growth of other plants, effects that last long after they are dead. The new theory explains many features of fairy circles and even predicted where previously unrecorded ones would be found. Large-scale die-offs of these plants could be linked to past climate change and is therefore a concern for the future.
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The Story Behind the Namibian Elephant Auction
Namibian Chamber of Environment
The recent proposal by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to auction 170 elephants has been met with harsh criticism and many unsubstantiated accusations. This article provides the historical and current context required to understand this decision and calls for support to help Namibian farmers coexist with elephants in future.
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Namibian Pangolin Working Group: collaboration for conservation success and World Pangolin Day
Namibian Pangolin Working Group
Pangolins are severely threatened by the illegal trade for their scales and parts, yet their ecological needs are poorly understood. The Namibian Pangolin Working Group was established in early 2020 to coordinate and drive efforts to reduce illegal trade, rehabilitate and release individuals seized from poachers and traffickers, conduct priority conservation research, and create awareness of the pangolin's plight in Namibia.
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Living From the Veld in Namibia
Namibian Chamber of Environment
Danene van der Westhuyzen's new book, From the Veld, showcases all-Namibian recipes for food obtained from nature. Danene and her family live off the land by hunting, gathering, milking and picking the ingredients needed for the delicious meals at home and at their two game lodges. We ask her more about life on the farm and the philosophy behind her new book and hunting in Namibia.
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Dwarf giraffe - Seriously?!
Giraffe Conservation Foundation
Researchers from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation recently recorded not one, but two dwarf giraffes! This is the first time the condition known as skeletal dysplasia has been found in giraffe. Using a technique called photogrammetry, the scientists measured the bone lengths of each giraffe (one in Namibia and one in Uganda), with interesting results.
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An airborne Christmas present for anti-poaching teams
The period between and around Christmas day and New Year’s is a time of increased criminal activity, thus requiring a bigger anti-poaching effort to protect Namibia’s free-ranging black rhinos. Dr Conrad Brain, an experienced bush pilot and veterinarian, joined the joint anti-poaching efforts with a Cessna aeroplane to provide valuable aerial support. He provides insight into why aerial support is necessary and what flying at low altitude in the rocky desert of north-west Namibia is like.
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Friends will be friends – even in the midst of a pandemic
Omba Arts Trust
The Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions on international travel has had a devastating impact on the arts and crafts market in Namibia. Omba Arts Trust, which has empowered Namibian women to hone their craft-making skills and marketed their products to tourists since 2004, experienced a 90% income cut. Yet Director Karin le Roux is determined to find ways to help the local artisans who have partnered with Omba over the years. Find out how you can help.
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