• NAD
    • AUD
    • GBP
    • EUR
    • HKD
    • NAD
    • NZD
    • ZAR
  • info@ati-holidays.com
  • Call Us
    • +264 (0) 61 228 717
    • UK Toll Free 0808-234-9378
    • US Toll Free 1-888-333-3876
Menu
ATI Holidays
  • Home
  • Destinations


    • Zimbabwe



      Zambia



      Mauritius



      Mozambique

      Our Destinations

      See All



      Namibia



      Botswana



      South Africa

  • Travel Styles


    • Romantic



      Self-Drive



      Fly-in



      Fly-Drive



      Wildlife

      Our Travel Styles

      See All



      Beach



      Family



      Walking



      Guided

  • About
    • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Reviews
    • Jobs
    • Team
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Specials
HomeNewsOn Covid-19 and Conservation

On Covid-19 and Conservation

By Angie Khoeseb, November 29, 2021 Posted in: News, Safari Blog

When we think of the effects of the pandemic on the global economy, one of the foremost industries that we regard as having been hard-hit is tourism. This multi-faceted industry combines a supply chain of operations which create the best possible tourist experience. At the heart of these operations, is conservation.

According to (Meriam Webster, 2021), conservation can be defined as “a careful preservation and protection of something; – especially: planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect,”. This means that considering the fragility of nature, we need to actively create systems which ensure the preservation of precious resources, in this case, pertaining to tourism. These resources can include flora and fauna, water, energy, and natural landscapes.

Conservation is one of the most important aspects of the Namibian tourism industry. As a country which was one of the first to include conservation of nature and wildlife into its Constitution, to the fact that over eighty communal conservancies can be found all over the country, the efforts of the country on this front have been laudable.

Game Guards in Namibia

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought on an obstacle for conservation. Among these, have been the large economic losses and negative social effects faced by the local communities directly involved with the conservancies found in the country.

Several individuals working for these conservancies have had to take a voluntary approach to their work, as the effects of the pandemic put a halt to their income. Some community wardens from the Orupapa and //Audi conservancies in the west of Namibia had this to say regarding the effects of the pandemic on their work:

Abia Kavita – 23 years as a game guard

Position: Community game guard since 1997, Orupupa Conservancy

Job responsibilities: To conserve wildlife and natural resources

“I have been serving as a game guard for 23 years now, and I can tell that the landscape has pretty much changed. I don’t get to see much wildlife like I used to anymore. So much has changed in such a short period of time due to Covid-19 outbreak and the movement restrictions. I fear that with the current situation, it will no longer be business as usual. We will suffer and so will the wildlife. I would like to tell people about the importance of having wildlife and natural resources and encourage them to continue taking care of them.”

For Martha Lambert seeing wildlife and beautiful landscapes makes her day

Position: Farmer and game guard since 2006, //Audi Conservancy

Job responsibilities: Conduct patrols, monitor natural resources and work to mitigate human wildlife conflict

“As a game guard, my job involves doing patrols in the conservancy and keeping track of natural resource incidences such as wildlife sightings, mortalities and human wildlife conflicts in my event book.

After doing my morning house chores, I take a cup of tea and start walking in the field at around 9 am, sometimes 10. It is so quiet out there, the only thing you hear is birds singing. Walking around in the field, seeing wildlife and the beautiful landscapes makes my day.

My conservancy does not generate income at the moment and so we do this voluntarily. My income comes from farming small livestock-goats, which I sometimes take with to go grazing in the field and look after them while I am doing my job.“

Hiamaundu Hinu on the importance of conserving nature

Position: Community game guard since 1997, Orupupa Conservancy

Job responsibilities: To conserve wildlife and natural resources

“This job is very important to me and helpful to my family. In this difficult time,I will try to my level best to do patrols and monitoring where I can. I would also like to ask the government and NGOs to help us in this situation. I will try to encourage the whole community to look after our natural resources and teach them the importance of conserving our nature. We pray that this Covid 19 will come to an end so that things can go back to normal.” (Conservation Tourism in Namibia, 2021)

We can see from these perspectives that the motivation for being involved in conservation is not solely the financial benefits, but it stems from a deep compassion for the natural world. These individuals highlighted that the pandemic not only affected the human conservators, but also the quality of the conservation efforts.

The numerous travel bans, lockdowns and restrictions affected the livelihoods of many of the poorest communities in these conservancies, who rely almost solely on the money and support they get from the conservancies. Many of them have schools on site, and the impact of the pandemic has resulted in children not being able to get quality education.

As the economic crisis caused by the outbreak led to many people losing their jobs, this meant that in some situations there was a lack of manpower for all the work which needed to be done to ensure that proper conservation and nature preservation took place. This in turn created a bigger threat of poaching, as less rangers on the ground made animals more vulnerable. (Pinto et al., 2020, 7-11)

The quality of conservation has deteriorated over time, because of the fact that many of the skilled individuals who were vital in the upkeep of the conservancies, have had to let go of their jobs.

Elephant fence

Amidst some of the more negative impacts of the pandemic on conservation, it also instilled a sense of unity within the industry, with partners and friends assisting one another through the challenging times caused by Covid-19.

An example of this is the case of Omba Arts Trust. According to (Omba Arts Trust, 2021), the organisation “is a not-for-profit social enterprise that has been supporting the sustainable livelihoods of hundreds of artisans and artists, living in rural communities in Namibia, for over 30 years.”

The organisation received numerous lovely gestures of help and assistance to stay afloat and ensure that the artisans involved all still had some form of livelihood. Private individuals and enterprises, as well as state enterprises contributed to these efforts. This is a key sure of solidarity that exists within the industry and expresses the compassion each party involved has with sustainability and conservation.

Artisans from Omba Arts Trust

If we can take anything away from these stories, it is that the pandemic has shown us a great deal about conservation, and the true passion that individuals have for the sector. Communities have been negatively affected, but the unity and strength they show is commedable. We all hope for a revival of the tourism industry to pre-Covid levels and beyond, but we need to still consider the environment we work and participate in, and the preservation of what makes Namibia, Namibia.

References

Meriam Webster. (2021). Conservation | Definition of Conservation. From Meriam Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservation

Omba Arts Trust. (2021). Home. From Omba Arts: https://www.omba.org.na/

Pinto, M., Sullivan, S., & Lendelvo, S. (2020, July). A perfect storm? The impact of COVID-19 on community-based conservation in Namibia. Namibian Journal of Environment, 4(Section B: 1-15), 7-11.

Pictures : Omba Arts Trust. (2021). Home. From Omba Arts: https://www.omba.org.na/

NACSO/WWF in Namibia. (2021). [Conservation Photography Namibia]. NACSO/WWF in Namibia Photo Gallery.                                http://www.conservationphotographynamibia.com/

Related Posts

AfriCat Brown Hyena Project- Introductory Report

AfriCat Brown Hyena Project- Introductory Report

By Nicole Brendell, September 17, 2018
Posted in: News, Safari Blog, Wildlife

Originally published by The AfriCat Foundation and Okonjima in their September 2018 newsletter, reproduced here with kind permission from The AfriCat Foundation. "Shy, elusive and misunderstood, brown hyenas are rarely seen yet are widely persecuted across their range by farmers for real or perceived involvement in human wildlife conflict.  Numbering…

Read More

AfriCat Brown Hyena Project- Introductory Report
Namibia’s ‘Enviro Kidz’

Namibia’s ‘Enviro Kidz’

By Nicole Brendell, July 7, 2016
Posted in: News

Namibia Wildlife Resorts, the governmental organisation which runs the National Parks camping and accommodation facilities, has recently introduced the NWR Enviro-Kidz initiative. This aims to provide opportunities, primarily to school groups from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience the protected areas of Namibia. It is also hoped that they will learn…

Read More

Namibia’s ‘Enviro Kidz’
Spud in Namibia

Spud in Namibia

By Nicole Brendell, July 7, 2016
Posted in: News

Spud is one of the cheetahs under conservation at Okonjima, when he and his siblings were but young cubs they were found in the wild and adopted as pets. Because of the bad diet they were fed during this time, all the cubs suffered from severe calcium deficiency and all…

Read More

Spud in Namibia

Previous Post

An Intrepid Camping Escape into the Namibian Wilds

Next Post

The Journey Of A Lifetime

Newsletter

  • About ATI Holidays
  • Our Destinations
  • Our Tours
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • info@ati-holidays.com
  • +264 (0) 61 228 717
  • UK Toll Free 0808-234-9378
  • US Toll Free 1-888-333-3876
  • /atiholidays

© 2025 ATI Holidays All Rights Reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT