Helge Denker - Director, Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society Options

[Game Warden]

L to R: Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Permanent Secretary, Namibia Ministry of Environment & Tourism
in discussion with Helge Denker, Director, Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society.

Helge Denker is the director of The Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS) which is a membership organisation, open to anyone with an interest in the environment. The Society is run by employed staff in close co-operation with a voluntary committee elected annually from among its members.

NEWS is a non-profit organisation with the mission to conserve the natural environment of Namibia and to promote appropriate protection, wise and sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable development.

Rapid development, social and economic disparities and the ever-changing needs of a dynamic society are creating continuous conservation challenges in Namibia. NEWS strives towards a balance between the need for development, economic growth and equality and the need to sustain a healthy environment.

The valuable support of our corporate members and donors provides News with the financial means to pursue its objectives of promoting research, collecting and disseminating information on the environment and advancing community awareness of, and participation in, all aspects of conservation in Namibia.

Through its membership, News creates a network of individuals and organisations who care about our environment. A range of publications, talks and outings keeps members informed on environmental issues and facilitates a sharing of information.

The Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society can be found here: www.news-namibia.org.

As director of the Namibian Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), what is your personal involvement on a day to day basis and have you the opportunity to be hands on in conservation?

NEWS is managed by an active committee and two part-time staff, namely an office co-ordinator and a director. As director, I am personally involved in the day to day running of the organisation. Work includes correspondence and meetings with members, partner organisations and a variety of environmental stakeholders. It also includes the setting up of strategic objectives and aims in close collaboration with the NEWS Committee, as well as the implementation of annual workplans. NEWS is currently undergoing many changes in its structure and focus (including the name-change from Wildlife Society of Namibia to NEWS) and at the moment a lot of emphasis is placed on consolidating these changes.

As the current priority of NEWS is environmental education at all levels, our present work rarely involves hands-on conservation activities, but rather focuses on gathering and disseminating environmental information in order to facilitate informed decisions, ranging form simple household decisions to reduce litter or save water to complex planning decisions at government level that allow the truly sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Once the current changes have been consolidated, the activities of NEWS will again include more practical, hands-on conservation initiatives.

The Wildlife Society of Namibia, now the Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society, has been operating for forty years. In that time, what changes has Namibia undergone and because of such changes how has this affected the country’s environment and wildlife?

A forty-year period obviously brings many changes to any country. One could write whole books on the changes and their effects on the environment over the last forty years in Namibia. One of the biggest and most important changes in Namibia has been the transition to independence in 1990. As an independent country, Namibia is in a completely different position to conserve and utilise its resources. The protection of the country’s biodiversity is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution and Namibia has grown into a leader in many areas of conservation and environmental management, being represented on international bodies and at times driving regional and international conservation processes.

Namibia’s pro-active policy of sustainable utilisation of natural resources, while at times receiving international criticism (often uninformed), has been very successful in conserving populations of fauna and flora by giving natural resources a direct value and continually providing benefits to local communities and thus stimulating conservation.

The devolvement of rights to local communities to manage and utilise wildlife through the formation of conservancies has led to greatly improved attitudes to wildlife and other resources and has allowed the steady increase of wildlife populations in communal areas.

The increasing value of wildlife, especially within the tourism industry, has led to improved protection, especially on private farmland. Unfortunately, it has also led to a huge increase in game-proof fences which have disrupted the natural movement of wildlife. Game introductions and translocations to create additional tourism attractions and trophy hunting opportunities have increased game numbers, but have also included negative developments such as the introduction of species exotic to Namibia or to the area of introduction.

The rapid growth of the Namibian tourism industry since independence has provided alternative land-uses and income options that have contributed significantly to conservation. A great increase in outdoor leisure activities in general has also placed some pressure on the environment.

The significant human population increase over the forty years has meant a greatly increased utilisation of resources and has in some areas led to various degrees of environmental degradation. The spread of urban development and infrastructure developments such as dams, road, power and communication networks are also placing increasing pressure on the environment.

The international rush to exploit shrinking natural resources, including marine and mineral resources, has impacted and is continuing to impact significantly on the Namibian environment.

What is the Society's direct involvement in wildlife conservation and habitat preservation?

As stated previously, NEWS currently concentrates on environmental education in the broadest sense, rather than direct involvement in conservation. Our bi-annual magazine, Roan News, regular newsletters and monthly public talks all report on environmental issues and developments and increase public awareness and understanding. Overarching aims include the eradication of environmental apathy and the creation of environmental understanding and pride. Focus areas are the youth through the NEWS-4-the-future Youth Programme, decision-makers through the NEWS-4-leaders Programme and research through the NEWS-4-research Programme. In addition to this, NEWS supports and facilitates a variety of projects focussing on environmental education and conservation.

In the time that the Society has existed, what have been the most urgent wildlife issues and how have you sought to resolve them? In the coming years, what critical issues will affect wildlife in Namibia?

Again, over a forty year period in a developing country, there have been countless wildlife issues. The most high-profile issues have included the conservation of the at one stage critically threatened black rhino and desert-adapted elephant, the change in status of large predators from vermin to protected species, the harvesting of seals, the size-reduction of protected areas, the introduction of alien species, mining and other development and human-wildlife conflicts.

These have been influenced through a variety of inputs, ranging from financial support for conservation and research activities, dialogue with, and pressure on, decision-makers and public awareness creation of the issues through public talks and publications.

Critical current and future issues will include:

Alleviation of poverty to reduce direct and local pressures on limited resources, especially in the more densely populated parts of northern Namibia.

Mitigation of the effects of climate change to avoid increased pressures on fragile resources, especially in arid areas.

• Sustainable utilisation of fundamental resources, most especially water and energy.
• Improved planning of urban and infrastructure developments to reduce impacts on vulnerable resources (current example: threat to Damara tern breeding areas through the spread of urban development at the central coast).
• Mitigation of mining impacts (current example: threat posed by uranium mining activities to tourism attractions in the Namib desert through the visual aesthetic impact of mining, to local flora and fauna through the direct disturbance caused, to groundwater resources, flora and fauna through contamination, and to generally limited water resources at the coast).
• Improved agricultural practices and a shift away from marginal agriculture utilising exotic species, which continues to reduce natural habitat, towards the sustainable utilisation of indigenous resources that have the potential for greater benefits, especially in the long term.
• Mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts that threaten individual species, especially large predators and raptors (especially African wild dog, cheetah, lion and crocodile; vultures and eagles).
• Strict control over wildlife translocations that threaten indigenous and at times endemic species (current example: threat to the genetic integrity of the black-faced impala through the uncontrolled translocation of common impala).
• Strict control over bio-trade that may threaten local resources (current example: hoodia).
• Responsible development within the tourism industry including responsible recreational activities of locals and tourists through better understanding of issues to minimise impacts on the environment.

Who bears responsibility for wildlife conservation and habitat preservation within the country? And what is the relationship between the Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society and government? Indeed what is the government’s view of conservation?

The responsibility for environmental conservation is carried by a variety of stakeholders. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism (MET) is the custodian of protected areas and the regulating body controlling utilisation of most natural resources (except water, forestry, marine and mineral resources, which are regulated by other ministries). Numerous Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and project-based initiatives focus on the conservation of particular species. Other NGOs focus on community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). Still others, such as NEWS, focus on creating a better understanding of environmental issues and instilling environmental pride. Conservancies and private land owners also contribute significantly to conservation through the management of large areas of land and its resources.

NEWS sees the Government, as well as all other major environmental stakeholders, as partners and seeks to collaborate on issues through constructive dialogue.

The Government’s view of conservation can be improved in some areas, as the idea that conservation is a factor inhibiting development is still entrenched in some sectors. Conservation and tourism as viable land-use alternatives are still viewed with scepticism, especially by sectors such as agriculture and mining.

How do you interact with the national parks and reserves and what relationship do you have with the various lodges?

Our interaction with national parks focuses on liaison, information-sharing and project-based collaboration with park management and MET.

Numerous tourism operators are providing financial support to NEWS by being corporate members of the Society, and also collaborate on issues.

What do you believe Namibia’s approach to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation should be? Nationally or on a more local basis, i.e. park by park, region by region? Should all agencies strive to work in conjunction or will more be achieved if each entity takes responsibility for one facet of the overall situation?

Namibia has an excellent approach to conservation, which is based on the sustainable utilisation of natural resources. In practical terms, improvements can be made in implementing this approach in effective and meaningful ways so that it truly benefits local communities while conserving resources.

Conservation work in Namibia is a little fragmented at times, and improvements can be made in collaboration between Government, NGOs, the commercial sector and communities. The co-operation within each sector can also be improved, for example between different Government Ministries, or different NGO initiatives.

Importantly, conservation should not be limited to national parks or reserves. Here again, Namibia has an excellent approach to holistic conservation. Conservation outside of formally protected areas is in many cases functioning well. Improvements can be made in reducing the gap between policies and approaches and what is actually happening at grass-roots level. The Strengthening the Protected Areas Network (SPAN) Project of MET is working at optimising the functioning of parks, improving linkages and co-operation between protected areas and other stakeholders and ensuring that important areas of biodiversity falling outside current protected areas are conserved.

15% of the land in Namibia is set aside for conservation: therefore how is a certain harmony achieved between the requirements of the human population (especially those bordering or indeed within the conservation areas) and those of the conservation initiatives?

It must be remembered that a large proportion of Namibia’s protected areas lies within the Namib Desert and is unsuitable for most other land uses (especially agriculture). Many important areas of biodiversity occur outside of protected areas and here the real challenges exist in finding a balance between development and conservation. Current pressures include agriculture (often subsistence farming), mining (especially the current uranium boom), urban and infrastructure development and the indiscriminate use of resources for fuel, building materials and food.

A real balance between conservation and development can only be found through viable land uses that do not conflict with conservation efforts. In order to remain viable, protected areas must generate benefits at least equal to those that could be generated by other land uses, both at local community and national level. Importantly, indirect and long-term benefits should always be considered and exploitation for short-term gain that causes long-term environmental degeneration should not be allowed. Environmental services such as clean air, water and other natural resources should be considered as part of the benefits generated by a protected area. The utilisation of indigenous resources on a sustainable basis, both through tourism and the trade in biological resources, is an important shift in the right direction.

Tourism is obviously an extremely important alternative land use. But it is vital that tourism demonstrates that it can generate sufficient income both for local communities and the national economy to justify setting aside large areas of land, rather than utilising the areas for agriculture, mining or other activities. If responsibly developed and controlled, consumptive and non-consumptive tourism can be one of the most viable and sustainable land uses for many areas in Namibia.

Current bio-trade initiatives include the utilisation of plant resources such as the hoodia, devil’s claw, narra and marula, as well as the trade in live game and game products. This industry also needs stringent control to avoid over-utilisation, but can be an important sector that generates funds from and thus conserves indigenous resources.

How can communities local to reserves and parks become integrated within the conservation process and benefit from the income tourism generates?

Conservation approaches in Namibia are already much broader than merely focussing on national parks. While there is definitely still a large gap between conservation visions and practical realities, the visions are there and the work towards them is involving local communities. Conservancies that create buffer zones around national parks and benefit directly from the tourism attraction of the parks are positive developments.

It should be noted that much of Namibia’s wildlife-based tourism takes place outside national parks, both on private land and in communal areas. This provides increasing benefits to people in those areas. Especially in the communal areas, benefits, and the structures that ensure them, can still be increased significantly. But, while individual developments can be improved, the general direction is a positive one.

Humans vs. Wildlife: what are the instances of conflict in Namibia and where do they occur? Why do they occur?

As wildlife numbers are high in many parts of the country, some forms of conflict continuously occur. The biggest conflicts occur between the larger predators and stock farmers. This is highest along the border of Etosha NP, where lions regularly move out of the Park and take stock, and are often shot as a result. Leopards and cheetahs account for stock losses in many parts of both the commercial and communal farming areas of Namibia, and are widely persecuted. Nonetheless, viable populations of both cats continue to occur in most areas. The monetary value that leopards and cheetahs present as hunting trophies has convinced many commercial farmers to tolerate populations on their land, rather than attempting to eradicate them completely.

African wild dogs have been eradicated from most farming areas and need urgent protection in the areas where they still occur. Smaller predators, most notably caracal and jackal, are widely persecuted in all stock farming areas. Vultures and eagles are also persecuted by small-stock farmers.

Elephants create conflicts in all areas where they occur in the proximity of agriculture or limited water supply. Tourism pressure and irresponsible behaviour has also led to some conflicts with elephants.

Along the rivers of the Caprivi and along the Kunene River, crocodiles are responsible for occasional human fatalities as well as stock losses.

Contrary to the perceptions of those who have only visited the national parks and some privately-owned farmlands of Namibia, many parts of the country have populations of dangerous game occurring in the direct proximity of rural people relying on subsitance agriculture. The attitudes of local people faced with wildlife danger and damage on a daily basis are obviously quite different to those of tourists and conservationists. The initiatives of a variety of NGOs are helping to improve attitudes towards conflict animals amongst the farming communities.

What is the country’s public perception of conservation, both in terms of wildlife and habitat and how can you hope to increase awareness of the environment?

Conservation perceptions vary greatly between urban and rural populations, between the rich and the poor, and between sectors of European and African origin. Perceptions are improving across all sectors, albeit slowly in some instances. Much needs to be done to strike balances between poverty alleviation and rural development and conservation initiatives, which are often Eurocentric in their approach. Education, the dissemination of information, the provision of viable alternatives and the direct involvement of local communities are the keys to success.

What are your community outreach programmes? For instance how do you involve schools in the conservation process and what is your approach to educating young people about the environment?

Since the recent changes of name and structure, NEWS has begun creating the framework for a variety of programmes, including one aimed at the youth. The NEWS-4-the-future Youth Programme includes recruiting educational institutions from all regions as members, organising outings and presentations, disseminating information and providing school prizes and individual bursaries, often in partnership with other environmental education initiatives. Our public talks are currently presented mostly in Windhoek, but we aim to reach regional centres with pertinent presentations on an increasing basis. The distribution of our publications such as Roan News is increasing and there are also plans to disseminate information to rural communities through the conservancy structures.

How are the parks and reserves / lodges and accommodations making themselves accessible to the Namibian public? Indeed is there a concerted effort to attract more home based visitors opposed to foreigners and if so how is this being marketed nationally? What can be done in your opinion to bring more local people to visit conservation initiatives?

The Namibian tourism industry as a whole is geared towards foreign visitors. There are individual, and increasing, initiatives to provide better access to Namibians, including discounts on entrance fees and accommodation in national parks and some private enterprises. Some marketing is done to attract locals, but this can not be called a concerted effort. For a large part of the Namibian population, tourism products, including those in national parks and reserves, remain out of reach. NEWS is aware of the need to address this, but has not embarked on any initiatives yet.

What effect did the Angolan conflict have on such areas as Caprivi in terms of wildlife, tourism, conservation etc? Following the end of the conflict, how has this area stabilised and recovered?

The effects of the Angolan conflict have mostly been limited to temporary security issues in the Caprivi. While there have been definite effects on the tourism industry of the area, there have been no significant conservation effects. The Caprivi is once again completely stable and tourism is increasing again.

With Zimbabwe bordering the very Eastern tip of the Caprivi “strip” how have its internal problems affected this area of Namibia and has an increase in cross border poaching been witnessed? And with regard to poaching, where in Namibia does most poaching occur and what is the action plan to combat it?

While many Zimbabweans have certainly been displaced from their country, we have not received any reports of significant poaching increases as a result. The fact that Zimbabwe is currently not a tourist destination has reduced tourism traffic through the Caprivi, which obviously has an effect on the local economy of the area.

Poaching in Namibia is mostly limited to hunting for the pot. Organised poaching for economic gain is relatively rare. MET structures, the community game guard system, the work and presence of numerous NGOs and widespread tourism activities all play their part in limiting poaching.

Is there a plan to restock conservancies in Namibia using wildlife translocation or is it believed that numbers will increase through natural regeneration? Are the main safari destinations in Namibia abundant in wildlife or is it your opinion that somewhat urgent action is taken to stimulate the tourist marketplace, especially in view of the upcoming World Cup in 2010 just across the border in South Africa?

Numerous game translocations have taken place in recent years to increase wildlife numbers in various conservancies in Namibia. In general, Namibia has excellent and increasing wildlife populations in most parts of the country, including communal conservancies and private farmland outside national parks. No urgent action in this regard is required to stimulate the tourism marketplace.

The concept of needing to introduce game to attract tourists can in fact be counter-productive to conservation and is leading to some negative developments. A pertinent example is the introduction of alien species. Many Namibian landowners are fencing their land with game-proof fences and are introducing exotic species such as blesbok, black wildebeest, nyala and others from neighbouring countries in an attempt to provide an often zoo-like variety. This is especially prevalent within the trophy hunting sector, where anomalies such as white springbok are also being introduced to offer trophy rarities. This development has also led to countless uncontrolled translocations within Namibia, which are threatening the genetic integrity of sub-species and are also placing game such as waterbuck or lechwe in unsuitable environments.

Namibia is generally an arid country and many areas can not support the kind of game numbers found in other parts of Africa. But Namibia does have unique and spectacular landscapes as well as diverse and interesting fauna and flora, including many endemic species. These provide more than enough attractions for viable tourism products. Emphasis should be placed on suitable product development and informed guiding that gives tourists access to Namibia’s uniqueness, rather than trying to compete with other countries by attempting to artificially emulate their attractions.

National parks such as Etosha NP provide superb game viewing second to none, including elephant, lion, leopard and cheetah and both black and white rhino. The North-Eastern parks also offer good game viewing in very different habitat to Etosha. Communal areas such as the well-known Kaoko (Kunene Region, North-Western Namibia) have good game numbers and superb wilderness experiences, with species such as desert-dwelling elephant, black rhino and even lion steadily increasing in numbers and expanding their ranges, and antelope, giraffe and zebra present in good numbers. The Nyae Nyae area in eastern Namibia (a part of former Bushmanland) and the adjoining Khaudum NP also offer superb wilderness experiences and good game-viewing.

The Namib Desert (with focal points such as the dunes at Sossusvlei) and the Skeleton Coast NP and the Fish River Canyon (the second-largest canyon in the world) offer interesting fauna and flora (including many endemics) in unique and often very spectacular habitat, but obviously in much lower numbers than in higher rainfall areas.

While there are initiatives to benefit from the Football World Cup, these should be focussing mainly on marketing, product development and improving infrastructure, rather than any need to create or improve actual attractions.

As a destination for the more intrepid of Africa travellers, what does Namibia offer? How many parks / reserves does the country have, how developed for tourism are they and in terms of wildlife viewing how do they compare with other destinations?

Namibia has something to offer to all types of visitors. For those seeking comfort there are numerous luxury accommodation options, while adventurers can explore a variety of less developed areas. More intrepid travellers can find real wilderness experiences in the communal areas of the Erongo, Kunene, Otjozondjupa, Kavango and Caprivi Regions, including free-roaming, large and dangerous wildlife.

Namibia has 20 proclaimed nature reserves or national parks, complemented by an extensive network of non-government protected areas including communal and freehold conservancies and private nature reserves. Infrastructure in national parks is currently being upgraded by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. As outlined above, Namibian national parks compare well with destinations anywhere in the world, due to a combination of unique and spectacular landscapes and interesting fauna and flora.

What is Namibia’s approach to expanding the lucrative tourism / safari sector and how can it hope to compete with its more popular neighbouring destinations?

I believe that Namibia has long ago reached the status of an excellent tourism destination in its own right. As outlined above, Namibia has unique landscapes and wildlife as well as cultural diversity to offer visitors, which are easily on par with the attractions of neighbouring countries.

Importantly, a more cohesive overall approach to tourism development can significantly improve Namibia’s tourism product. By ‘tourism product’ I mean the way in which the actual attractions such as landscape, wildlife, culture etc. are made accessible and presented to the visitor. This includes suitable accommodation, competent guiding and information provision and other infrastructure and services such as access roads, restaurants etc.

Under South African rule, the development and marketing of Namibia as an international tourist attraction was minimal. Through the sudden growth of a local tourism industry since independence, many people with an inadequate understanding of the industry or insufficient knowledge and skills have been involved in tourism development and activities. Some poorly developed products and inadequate services have contributed to Namibia’s image as a lesser destination than other African countries. Importantly, Namibia’s international image needs to be carefully cultivated, and marketing of the country should include a Namibian environmental identity, which has been largely fragmented in the past.

Forty years young: what are the Society’s aims for the future?

NEWS is currently undergoing many changes in order to remain relevant and continue to contribute to conservation in Namibia. Our current focus is on consolidating these changes in order to build a sound foundation for all future activities.

Important aims are a continuing increase in membership, strengthening the countrywide network of members and partners and initiating and supporting meaningful activities (many of which have been outlined above) that make a real contribution to conservation and sustainable development.

The views expressed therein are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Safaritalk.

[Game Warden]

L to R: Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Permanent Secretary, Namibia Ministry of Environment & Tourism
in discussion with Helge Denker, Director, Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society.

Helge Denker is the director of The Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS) which is a membership organisation, open to anyone with an interest in the environment. The Society is run by employed staff in close co-operation with a voluntary committee elected annually from among its members.

NEWS is a non-profit organisation with the mission to conserve the natural environment of Namibia and to promote appropriate protection, wise and sustainable use of natural resources and sustainable development.

Rapid development, social and economic disparities and the ever-changing needs of a dynamic society are creating continuous conservation challenges in Namibia. NEWS strives towards a balance between the need for development, economic growth and equality and the need to sustain a healthy environment.

The valuable support of our corporate members and donors provides News with the financial means to pursue its objectives of promoting research, collecting and disseminating information on the environment and advancing community awareness of, and participation in, all aspects of conservation in Namibia.

Through its membership, News creates a network of individuals and organisations who care about our environment. A range of publications, talks and outings keeps members informed on environmental issues and facilitates a sharing of information.

The Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society can be found here: www.news-namibia.org.

As director of the Namibian Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), what is your personal involvement on a day to day basis and have you the opportunity to be hands on in conservation?

NEWS is managed by an active committee and two part-time staff, namely an office co-ordinator and a director. As director, I am personally involved in the day to day running of the organisation. Work includes correspondence and meetings with members, partner organisations and a variety of environmental stakeholders. It also includes the setting up of strategic objectives and aims in close collaboration with the NEWS Committee, as well as the implementation of annual workplans. NEWS is currently undergoing many changes in its structure and focus (including the name-change from Wildlife Society of Namibia to NEWS) and at the moment a lot of emphasis is placed on consolidating these changes.

As the current priority of NEWS is environmental education at all levels, our present work rarely involves hands-on conservation activities, but rather focuses on gathering and disseminating environmental information in order to facilitate informed decisions, ranging form simple household decisions to reduce litter or save water to complex planning decisions at government level that allow the truly sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Once the current changes have been consolidated, the activities of NEWS will again include more practical, hands-on conservation initiatives.

The Wildlife Society of Namibia, now the Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society, has been operating for forty years. In that time, what changes has Namibia undergone and because of such changes how has this affected the country’s environment and wildlife?

A forty-year period obviously brings many changes to any country. One could write whole books on the changes and their effects on the environment over the last forty years in Namibia. One of the biggest and most important changes in Namibia has been the transition to independence in 1990. As an independent country, Namibia is in a completely different position to conserve and utilise its resources. The protection of the country’s biodiversity is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution and Namibia has grown into a leader in many areas of conservation and environmental management, being represented on international bodies and at times driving regional and international conservation processes.

Namibia’s pro-active policy of sustainable utilisation of natural resources, while at times receiving international criticism (often uninformed), has been very successful in conserving populations of fauna and flora by giving natural resources a direct value and continually providing benefits to local communities and thus stimulating conservation.

The devolvement of rights to local communities to manage and utilise wildlife through the formation of conservancies has led to greatly improved attitudes to wildlife and other resources and has allowed the steady increase of wildlife populations in communal areas.

The increasing value of wildlife, especially within the tourism industry, has led to improved protection, especially on private farmland. Unfortunately, it has also led to a huge increase in game-proof fences which have disrupted the natural movement of wildlife. Game introductions and translocations to create additional tourism attractions and trophy hunting opportunities have increased game numbers, but have also included negative developments such as the introduction of species exotic to Namibia or to the area of introduction.

The rapid growth of the Namibian tourism industry since independence has provided alternative land-uses and income options that have contributed significantly to conservation. A great increase in outdoor leisure activities in general has also placed some pressure on the environment.

The significant human population increase over the forty years has meant a greatly increased utilisation of resources and has in some areas led to various degrees of environmental degradation. The spread of urban development and infrastructure developments such as dams, road, power and communication networks are also placing increasing pressure on the environment.

The international rush to exploit shrinking natural resources, including marine and mineral resources, has impacted and is continuing to impact significantly on the Namibian environment.

What is the Society's direct involvement in wildlife conservation and habitat preservation?

As stated previously, NEWS currently concentrates on environmental education in the broadest sense, rather than direct involvement in conservation. Our bi-annual magazine, Roan News, regular newsletters and monthly public talks all report on environmental issues and developments and increase public awareness and understanding. Overarching aims include the eradication of environmental apathy and the creation of environmental understanding and pride. Focus areas are the youth through the NEWS-4-the-future Youth Programme, decision-makers through the NEWS-4-leaders Programme and research through the NEWS-4-research Programme. In addition to this, NEWS supports and facilitates a variety of projects focussing on environmental education and conservation.

In the time that the Society has existed, what have been the most urgent wildlife issues and how have you sought to resolve them? In the coming years, what critical issues will affect wildlife in Namibia?

Again, over a forty year period in a developing country, there have been countless wildlife issues. The most high-profile issues have included the conservation of the at one stage critically threatened black rhino and desert-adapted elephant, the change in status of large predators from vermin to protected species, the harvesting of seals, the size-reduction of protected areas, the introduction of alien species, mining and other development and human-wildlife conflicts.

These have been influenced through a variety of inputs, ranging from financial support for conservation and research activities, dialogue with, and pressure on, decision-makers and public awareness creation of the issues through public talks and publications.

Critical current and future issues will include:

Alleviation of poverty to reduce direct and local pressures on limited resources, especially in the more densely populated parts of northern Namibia.

Mitigation of the effects of climate change to avoid increased pressures on fragile resources, especially in arid areas.

• Sustainable utilisation of fundamental resources, most especially water and energy.
• Improved planning of urban and infrastructure developments to reduce impacts on vulnerable resources (current example: threat to Damara tern breeding areas through the spread of urban development at the central coast).
• Mitigation of mining impacts (current example: threat posed by uranium mining activities to tourism attractions in the Namib desert through the visual aesthetic impact of mining, to local flora and fauna through the direct disturbance caused, to groundwater resources, flora and fauna through contamination, and to generally limited water resources at the coast).
• Improved agricultural practices and a shift away from marginal agriculture utilising exotic species, which continues to reduce natural habitat, towards the sustainable utilisation of indigenous resources that have the potential for greater benefits, especially in the long term.
• Mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts that threaten individual species, especially large predators and raptors (especially African wild dog, cheetah, lion and crocodile; vultures and eagles).
• Strict control over wildlife translocations that threaten indigenous and at times endemic species (current example: threat to the genetic integrity of the black-faced impala through the uncontrolled translocation of common impala).
• Strict control over bio-trade that may threaten local resources (current example: hoodia).
• Responsible development within the tourism industry including responsible recreational activities of locals and tourists through better understanding of issues to minimise impacts on the environment.

Who bears responsibility for wildlife conservation and habitat preservation within the country? And what is the relationship between the Namibian Environment & Wildlife Society and government? Indeed what is the government’s view of conservation?

The responsibility for environmental conservation is carried by a variety of stakeholders. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism (MET) is the custodian of protected areas and the regulating body controlling utilisation of most natural resources (except water, forestry, marine and mineral resources, which are regulated by other ministries). Numerous Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and project-based initiatives focus on the conservation of particular species. Other NGOs focus on community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). Still others, such as NEWS, focus on creating a better understanding of environmental issues and instilling environmental pride. Conservancies and private land owners also contribute significantly to conservation through the management of large areas of land and its resources.

NEWS sees the Government, as well as all other major environmental stakeholders, as partners and seeks to collaborate on issues through constructive dialogue.

The Government’s view of conservation can be improved in some areas, as the idea that conservation is a factor inhibiting development is still entrenched in some sectors. Conservation and tourism as viable land-use alternatives are still viewed with scepticism, especially by sectors such as agriculture and mining.

How do you interact with the national parks and reserves and what relationship do you have with the various lodges?

Our interaction with national parks focuses on liaison, information-sharing and project-based collaboration with park management and MET.

Numerous tourism operators are providing financial support to NEWS by being corporate members of the Society, and also collaborate on issues.

What do you believe Namibia’s approach to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation should be? Nationally or on a more local basis, i.e. park by park, region by region? Should all agencies strive to work in conjunction or will more be achieved if each entity takes responsibility for one facet of the overall situation?

Namibia has an excellent approach to conservation, which is based on the sustainable utilisation of natural resources. In practical terms, improvements can be made in implementing this approach in effective and meaningful ways so that it truly benefits local communities while conserving resources.

Conservation work in Namibia is a little fragmented at times, and improvements can be made in collaboration between Government, NGOs, the commercial sector and communities. The co-operation within each sector can also be improved, for example between different Government Ministries, or different NGO initiatives.

Importantly, conservation should not be limited to national parks or reserves. Here again, Namibia has an excellent approach to holistic conservation. Conservation outside of formally protected areas is in many cases functioning well. Improvements can be made in reducing the gap between policies and approaches and what is actually happening at grass-roots level. The Strengthening the Protected Areas Network (SPAN) Project of MET is working at optimising the functioning of parks, improving linkages and co-operation between protected areas and other stakeholders and ensuring that important areas of biodiversity falling outside current protected areas are conserved.

15% of the land in Namibia is set aside for conservation: therefore how is a certain harmony achieved between the requirements of the human population (especially those bordering or indeed within the conservation areas) and those of the conservation initiatives?

It must be remembered that a large proportion of Namibia’s protected areas lies within the Namib Desert and is unsuitable for most other land uses (especially agriculture). Many important areas of biodiversity occur outside of protected areas and here the real challenges exist in finding a balance between development and conservation. Current pressures include agriculture (often subsistence farming), mining (especially the current uranium boom), urban and infrastructure development and the indiscriminate use of resources for fuel, building materials and food.

A real balance between conservation and development can only be found through viable land uses that do not conflict with conservation efforts. In order to remain viable, protected areas must generate benefits at least equal to those that could be generated by other land uses, both at local community and national level. Importantly, indirect and long-term benefits should always be considered and exploitation for short-term gain that causes long-term environmental degeneration should not be allowed. Environmental services such as clean air, water and other natural resources should be considered as part of the benefits generated by a protected area. The utilisation of indigenous resources on a sustainable basis, both through tourism and the trade in biological resources, is an important shift in the right direction.

Tourism is obviously an extremely important alternative land use. But it is vital that tourism demonstrates that it can generate sufficient income both for local communities and the national economy to justify setting aside large areas of land, rather than utilising the areas for agriculture, mining or other activities. If responsibly developed and controlled, consumptive and non-consumptive tourism can be one of the most viable and sustainable land uses for many areas in Namibia.

Current bio-trade initiatives include the utilisation of plant resources such as the hoodia, devil’s claw, narra and marula, as well as the trade in live game and game products. This industry also needs stringent control to avoid over-utilisation, but can be an important sector that generates funds from and thus conserves indigenous resources.

How can communities local to reserves and parks become integrated within the conservation process and benefit from the income tourism generates?

Conservation approaches in Namibia are already much broader than merely focussing on national parks. While there is definitely still a large gap between conservation visions and practical realities, the visions are there and the work towards them is involving local communities. Conservancies that create buffer zones around national parks and benefit directly from the tourism attraction of the parks are positive developments.

It should be noted that much of Namibia’s wildlife-based tourism takes place outside national parks, both on private land and in communal areas. This provides increasing benefits to people in those areas. Especially in the communal areas, benefits, and the structures that ensure them, can still be increased significantly. But, while individual developments can be improved, the general direction is a positive one.

Humans vs. Wildlife: what are the instances of conflict in Namibia and where do they occur? Why do they occur?

As wildlife numbers are high in many parts of the country, some forms of conflict continuously occur. The biggest conflicts occur between the larger predators and stock farmers. This is highest along the border of Etosha NP, where lions regularly move out of the Park and take stock, and are often shot as a result. Leopards and cheetahs account for stock losses in many parts of both the commercial and communal farming areas of Namibia, and are widely persecuted. Nonetheless, viable populations of both cats continue to occur in most areas. The monetary value that leopards and cheetahs present as hunting trophies has convinced many commercial farmers to tolerate populations on their land, rather than attempting to eradicate them completely.

African wild dogs have been eradicated from most farming areas and need urgent protection in the areas where they still occur. Smaller predators, most notably caracal and jackal, are widely persecuted in all stock farming areas. Vultures and eagles are also persecuted by small-stock farmers.

Elephants create conflicts in all areas where they occur in the proximity of agriculture or limited water supply. Tourism pressure and irresponsible behaviour has also led to some conflicts with elephants.

Along the rivers of the Caprivi and along the Kunene River, crocodiles are responsible for occasional human fatalities as well as stock losses.

Contrary to the perceptions of those who have only visited the national parks and some privately-owned farmlands of Namibia, many parts of the country have populations of dangerous game occurring in the direct proximity of rural people relying on subsitance agriculture. The attitudes of local people faced with wildlife danger and damage on a daily basis are obviously quite different to those of tourists and conservationists. The initiatives of a variety of NGOs are helping to improve attitudes towards conflict animals amongst the farming communities.

What is the country’s public perception of conservation, both in terms of wildlife and habitat and how can you hope to increase awareness of the environment?

Conservation perceptions vary greatly between urban and rural populations, between the rich and the poor, and between sectors of European and African origin. Perceptions are improving across all sectors, albeit slowly in some instances. Much needs to be done to strike balances between poverty alleviation and rural development and conservation initiatives, which are often Eurocentric in their approach. Education, the dissemination of information, the provision of viable alternatives and the direct involvement of local communities are the keys to success.

What are your community outreach programmes? For instance how do you involve schools in the conservation process and what is your approach to educating young people about the environment?

Since the recent changes of name and structure, NEWS has begun creating the framework for a variety of programmes, including one aimed at the youth. The NEWS-4-the-future Youth Programme includes recruiting educational institutions from all regions as members, organising outings and presentations, disseminating information and providing school prizes and individual bursaries, often in partnership with other environmental education initiatives. Our public talks are currently presented mostly in Windhoek, but we aim to reach regional centres with pertinent presentations on an increasing basis. The distribution of our publications such as Roan News is increasing and there are also plans to disseminate information to rural communities through the conservancy structures.

How are the parks and reserves / lodges and accommodations making themselves accessible to the Namibian public? Indeed is there a concerted effort to attract more home based visitors opposed to foreigners and if so how is this being marketed nationally? What can be done in your opinion to bring more local people to visit conservation initiatives?

The Namibian tourism industry as a whole is geared towards foreign visitors. There are individual, and increasing, initiatives to provide better access to Namibians, including discounts on entrance fees and accommodation in national parks and some private enterprises. Some marketing is done to attract locals, but this can not be called a concerted effort. For a large part of the Namibian population, tourism products, including those in national parks and reserves, remain out of reach. NEWS is aware of the need to address this, but has not embarked on any initiatives yet.

What effect did the Angolan conflict have on such areas as Caprivi in terms of wildlife, tourism, conservation etc? Following the end of the conflict, how has this area stabilised and recovered?

The effects of the Angolan conflict have mostly been limited to temporary security issues in the Caprivi. While there have been definite effects on the tourism industry of the area, there have been no significant conservation effects. The Caprivi is once again completely stable and tourism is increasing again.

With Zimbabwe bordering the very Eastern tip of the Caprivi “strip” how have its internal problems affected this area of Namibia and has an increase in cross border poaching been witnessed? And with regard to poaching, where in Namibia does most poaching occur and what is the action plan to combat it?

While many Zimbabweans have certainly been displaced from their country, we have not received any reports of significant poaching increases as a result. The fact that Zimbabwe is currently not a tourist destination has reduced tourism traffic through the Caprivi, which obviously has an effect on the local economy of the area.

Poaching in Namibia is mostly limited to hunting for the pot. Organised poaching for economic gain is relatively rare. MET structures, the community game guard system, the work and presence of numerous NGOs and widespread tourism activities all play their part in limiting poaching.

Is there a plan to restock conservancies in Namibia using wildlife translocation or is it believed that numbers will increase through natural regeneration? Are the main safari destinations in Namibia abundant in wildlife or is it your opinion that somewhat urgent action is taken to stimulate the tourist marketplace, especially in view of the upcoming World Cup in 2010 just across the border in South Africa?

Numerous game translocations have taken place in recent years to increase wildlife numbers in various conservancies in Namibia. In general, Namibia has excellent and increasing wildlife populations in most parts of the country, including communal conservancies and private farmland outside national parks. No urgent action in this regard is required to stimulate the tourism marketplace.

The concept of needing to introduce game to attract tourists can in fact be counter-productive to conservation and is leading to some negative developments. A pertinent example is the introduction of alien species. Many Namibian landowners are fencing their land with game-proof fences and are introducing exotic species such as blesbok, black wildebeest, nyala and others from neighbouring countries in an attempt to provide an often zoo-like variety. This is especially prevalent within the trophy hunting sector, where anomalies such as white springbok are also being introduced to offer trophy rarities. This development has also led to countless uncontrolled translocations within Namibia, which are threatening the genetic integrity of sub-species and are also placing game such as waterbuck or lechwe in unsuitable environments.

Namibia is generally an arid country and many areas can not support the kind of game numbers found in other parts of Africa. But Namibia does have unique and spectacular landscapes as well as diverse and interesting fauna and flora, including many endemic species. These provide more than enough attractions for viable tourism products. Emphasis should be placed on suitable product development and informed guiding that gives tourists access to Namibia’s uniqueness, rather than trying to compete with other countries by attempting to artificially emulate their attractions.

National parks such as Etosha NP provide superb game viewing second to none, including elephant, lion, leopard and cheetah and both black and white rhino. The North-Eastern parks also offer good game viewing in very different habitat to Etosha. Communal areas such as the well-known Kaoko (Kunene Region, North-Western Namibia) have good game numbers and superb wilderness experiences, with species such as desert-dwelling elephant, black rhino and even lion steadily increasing in numbers and expanding their ranges, and antelope, giraffe and zebra present in good numbers. The Nyae Nyae area in eastern Namibia (a part of former Bushmanland) and the adjoining Khaudum NP also offer superb wilderness experiences and good game-viewing.

The Namib Desert (with focal points such as the dunes at Sossusvlei) and the Skeleton Coast NP and the Fish River Canyon (the second-largest canyon in the world) offer interesting fauna and flora (including many endemics) in unique and often very spectacular habitat, but obviously in much lower numbers than in higher rainfall areas.

While there are initiatives to benefit from the Football World Cup, these should be focussing mainly on marketing, product development and improving infrastructure, rather than any need to create or improve actual attractions.

As a destination for the more intrepid of Africa travellers, what does Namibia offer? How many parks / reserves does the country have, how developed for tourism are they and in terms of wildlife viewing how do they compare with other destinations?

Namibia has something to offer to all types of visitors. For those seeking comfort there are numerous luxury accommodation options, while adventurers can explore a variety of less developed areas. More intrepid travellers can find real wilderness experiences in the communal areas of the Erongo, Kunene, Otjozondjupa, Kavango and Caprivi Regions, including free-roaming, large and dangerous wildlife.

Namibia has 20 proclaimed nature reserves or national parks, complemented by an extensive network of non-government protected areas including communal and freehold conservancies and private nature reserves. Infrastructure in national parks is currently being upgraded by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. As outlined above, Namibian national parks compare well with destinations anywhere in the world, due to a combination of unique and spectacular landscapes and interesting fauna and flora.

What is Namibia’s approach to expanding the lucrative tourism / safari sector and how can it hope to compete with its more popular neighbouring destinations?

I believe that Namibia has long ago reached the status of an excellent tourism destination in its own right. As outlined above, Namibia has unique landscapes and wildlife as well as cultural diversity to offer visitors, which are easily on par with the attractions of neighbouring countries.

Importantly, a more cohesive overall approach to tourism development can significantly improve Namibia’s tourism product. By ‘tourism product’ I mean the way in which the actual attractions such as landscape, wildlife, culture etc. are made accessible and presented to the visitor. This includes suitable accommodation, competent guiding and information provision and other infrastructure and services such as access roads, restaurants etc.

Under South African rule, the development and marketing of Namibia as an international tourist attraction was minimal. Through the sudden growth of a local tourism industry since independence, many people with an inadequate understanding of the industry or insufficient knowledge and skills have been involved in tourism development and activities. Some poorly developed products and inadequate services have contributed to Namibia’s image as a lesser destination than other African countries. Importantly, Namibia’s international image needs to be carefully cultivated, and marketing of the country should include a Namibian environmental identity, which has been largely fragmented in the past.

Forty years young: what are the Society’s aims for the future?

NEWS is currently undergoing many changes in order to remain relevant and continue to contribute to conservation in Namibia. Our current focus is on consolidating these changes in order to build a sound foundation for all future activities.

Important aims are a continuing increase in membership, strengthening the countrywide network of members and partners and initiating and supporting meaningful activities (many of which have been outlined above) that make a real contribution to conservation and sustainable development.

The views expressed therein are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Safaritalk.