Our approach

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Collaborative management for multiple benefits

Landscape management by landscape members

The Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape is managed under a co-management approach whereby there is high-level consensus amongst all stakeholders on developing an overall vision, objectives and targets that will be to the greater good of all stakeholders, achieved through the implementation of an agreed Action Plan.

Vision

To co-manage the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape for enhanced landscape and biodiversity conservation, and socioeconomic development, for the sustained benefit of the people within the Landscape and the Region.

Purpose

To foster and enhance collaboration and cooperation by the members, and where relevant, to harmonise their planning, management and development at a landscape level, to effectively implement the Vision, Objectives and Activities contained in the Co-Management and Development Plan, as may be revised and updated from time to time, within the area comprising the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape, and to work effectively with its neighbours, particularly with the Namib-Naukluft Park.

Objectives

  • To conserve and wisely manage the biomes, landscapes, ecosystems, catchments and biological diversity of the Landscape and, where necessary and feasible, to restore and rehabilitate degraded systems to their natural, productive states.
  • To manage wildlife populations and ecosystems to maintain healthy biological diversity and ecosystem stability under hyperarid and variable climatic conditions and different land-use practices, and to reintroduce and rebuild wildlife populations indigenous to the area within historic times, as might be appropriate under current and changing conditions.
  • To promote socio-economic development opportunities through creation of appropriate enterprises, partnerships and other relevant mechanisms to foster economic growth and thereby, promote job creation and rural development.
  • To promote and support appropriate land and natural resource uses that are compatible with the above objectives, with emphasis on sustainable land management practices, well managed tourism, marketing of flagship species, environmental education, awareness and outreach initiatives and research, and to create strategic and focused economic opportunities without compromising on sound conservation principles and practices.
  • To establish strong co-management partnerships and an appropriate institutional mechanism between the various land custodians, administrators, managers, holders and owners within the Landscape, so as to enhance the management of ecological and socio-economic aspects within the Landscapeto the mutual benefit of all partners.
  • To harness the ecological, social, cultural and economic viability, sustainability and competitiveness of the Landscape as a model of collaborative co-management that could be further replicated elsewhere.
  • To explore ways of jointly marketing the Landscape and create synergies between the individual economic and financial activities and initiatives of the partners to enhance the development of  the overall Landscape to the mutual benefit of all partners.
  • To explore the further expansion of the current Landscape as new potential partners seek to join the Landscape and comanagement Institution to manage the Landscape.

How does this fit into the national context?

State owned protected areas

Namibia has over the years become a world leader in pursuing conservation initiatives. Remarkable achievements have taken place in the conservation of Namibia’s biodiversity and safeguarding ecological integrity of our ecosystems. To date, our country boasts 20 state-run protected areas that represent nearly 17% of the total land area. Most of these parks are world renowned for their uniqueness as tourism destinations and for their species richness.

  • 20 state-run protected areas
  • nearly 17% of the total land area

Communal Conservancies

Complementing the network of protected areas are communal conservancies and private land used for conservation. To date, Namibia has 86 registered conservancies covering almost 20% of the country while the private land used for conservation represents slightly over 6% of the country land surface. A growing demand to create more conservancies across the country is an indication of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism's Community-Based Natural Resource Management programme’s successes.

  • 86 registered communal conservancies
  • over 19% of the total land area

Therefore Government, communities and private sector, in total have close to half of the country, an astonishing 42% earmarked for conservation. This is a remarkable achievement. However, setting land aside for conservation without putting appropriate measures to manage effectively will not safeguard our biodiversity. It is against this background that the Ministry is consciously and continuously exploring new ways to improve management effectiveness through new initiatives especially those that provide positive incentives to conserve biodiversity.

Landscapes

Under the Nam-Place Project five landscape initiatives are underway to ensure that: protected landscape conservation areas are established, land uses in areas adjacent to existing Protected Areas is compatible with biodiversity conservation objectives; corridors are established to sustain the viability of wildlife populations. The landscapes are:

  1. Mudumu Landscape
  2. Greater Waterberg Landscape
  3. Windhoek Green Belt Landscape
  4. Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape
  5. Greater Fish River Canyon Landscape

This brings an additional 15,550 km² of land under protected landscapes management arrangements


Relevant literature

  • A Strategic Collaborative Management & Development Plan For Greater Sossusvlei – Namib Landscape

    A five year strategic plan for 2013-2018. This co-management & development plan sets out the vision, purpose and objectives and underlying principles for the key issues which the participants wish to address in the co-management and development of the Complex. It also lists agreed “actions” under each of the issues, to facilitate the effective implementation of the plan
  • Briefing Paper: Co-management and Development of the Greater Sossusvlei - Namib Complex

  • Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association

    GSNL Articles of Association as filed with the Master of High Court.

    » Download
  • Constitution of the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape Association

    GSNL Constitution (Final, June 2015)
    » Download
  • Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape: Tracking ungulate movements 3

    Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape: Tracking ungulate movements 3

    Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape Tracking ungulate movements. Volume 1 Issue 3: from June to November 2016
    » Download
  • Landscape conservation areas’ law enforcement manual

    Law Enforcement Brochure - roads-camping-littering-fires-trespassing

    Given the capacity of the area’s tourism, the stakeholders within the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (GSNL) are confronted with management issues related to the tourism industry. These issues are specifically related to the conduct of the tourists in the area, and strict management implementation is necessary to uphold the environment and socio-economic status of the area. In pursuit of this, the landscape recognised the need to enhance law enforcement capacity in the area i, with the emphasis on educating NAMPOL on the relevant laws applicable to the regulation of tourism activities within the landscape, as well as on how the landscape members can complement NAMPOL’s efforts by exploring what powers landscape members have in terms of the law.
    » Download
  • NRNR Game Count report June 2012

    Report giving feedback and results of the annual game count held on NamibRand Nature Reserve and the Pro-Namib Conservancy on 2 June 2012 - for the eighth consecutive year since the counts were initiated in 2005.
    » Download
  • NRNR Game Count report May 2013

    Results of the Annual Game Count for the NamibRand Nature Reserve and Pro-Namib Conservancy 1 June 2013

    Data collected in the June 2013 game count were calculated and analysed, bearing our three core objectives in mind: Population estimates, Wildlife distribution/density, Population change
    » Download
  • NRNR Game Count report May 2014

    Results of the NamibRand Nature Reserve and Pro-Namib Conservancy Annual Game Count 31 May 2014

    Data collected in the May 2014 game count were calculated and analysed, bearing our three core objectives in mind: Population estimates, Wildlife distribution/density, Population change
    » Download
  • Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape

    Mendelsohn J. 2014. Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape
    This document provides a summary of information on the movements and locations of 9 Hartmann’s mountain zebra and 9 oryx fitted with GPS tracking devices in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape during 7 months in 2013 and 2014.
    » Download
  • Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape

    Mendelsohn J & Mendelsohn M, 2014. Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape. Update December 2014

    This document provides an update of information on the movements and locations of 9 Hartmann’s mountain zebra and 9 oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (GSNL). The report covers one year: from the last days of November 2013 when the transmitters were fitted to the end of November 2014. A previous report reviewed data collected during the first 7 months up to the 26th of June 2014.
    » Download
  • Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (powerpoint)

    Observations on the movements and home ranges of Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras and Oryx in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape. Based on a report by John Mendelsohn (RAISON)

    A 16 slide powerpoint presentation summarising the results of the study of nine mountain zebra and nine oryx fitted with GPS tracking devices in the central Namib, showing locations and home ranges to date (after 7 months tracking).
    » Download
  • Project proposal: A study of the population densities, movement patterns and land uses of oryx, springbok and mountain zebra in and around the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape

    African Conservation Services cc. 2013. Project proposal: A study of the population densities, movement patterns and land uses of oryx, springbok and mountain zebra in and around the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape.

    » Download
  • Report on a mountain zebra aerial survey in the Naukluft and Khomas Hochland

    Kolberg H. 2013. Report on a mountain zebra aerial survey in the Naukluft and Khomas Hochland, 19 to 24 June 2013

    » Download
  • Report on the Burchell’s Zebra and Red Hartebeest total road count June 2014

    Report on the Burchell’s Zebra (Equus burchelli) and Red Hartebeest (Sigmoceros lichtensteinii) total road count done on the 24th of June 2014

    Population estimates for NamibRand Nature reserve were 367 Burchell's zebra and around 205 Red hartebeest.
    » Download
  • Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Of The Tourism Sector For The Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape

    Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Of The Tourism Sector For The Greater Sossusvlei Namib Landscape

    This Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the tourism sector in the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape has two main objectives: • To help achieve a strong and sustainable tourism industry in the landscape, which contributes to improving human quality of life on sustainable principles; • To support the development plan of the landscape and inform future decision-making in and around the tourism sector.
    » Download