The Cessna 182 has been used on several occasions, with much success.

The use of the aircraft includes:

From the 45 bursary applications that were received, 13 applicants were successful.

Please read the full report here.

In celebration of World Pangolin Day, this coming Saturday, 17 February 2018, we would like to draw your attention to a concern we have about the illegal capture, killing and trade in pangolins in Namibia.

Statistics in Namibia:

Pangolin cases from 21st July 2017 to 31 January 2018

Number of cases: 34

Number of arrests: 77

Live pangolin seizure: 19

Pangolin skin seizure: 32

On Thursday 7^th December, the Namibian Journal of Environment was launched and went live. We published 13 papers, nine in peer-reviewed Section A and four in editor-reviewed Section B. These papers make up Volume 1 (2017). The papers accepted in 2018 will make up Volume 2. We saved up the papers in Volume 1 for the launch. In future, papers will be added to the Journal as they are ready for publishing.

On 24 November, a Vulture Workshop was held at Sossusvlei Lodge. The workshop was organised by the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape Association (GSNL), in response to a vulture poisoning incident in October 2017 where several lapped-faced vultures were poisoned by a local livestock farmer.

Pangolins are believed to be the most trafficked mammals in the world. The biggest demand for pangolins is in Asia, especially China. The main reason is that the scales, made of keratin like our finger nails, hair and rhino horns, are used in traditional Asian medicines and for ornaments and charms. The scales have no medicinal properties. It is an Asian myth that causes huge environmental damage and threatens the survival of these species. Pangolin meat is also sold at high prices in Asian restaurants.

Westair Aviation (Pty) Ltd and the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday to make a four-seater Cessna C182 aircraft, registration V5-IIM, available to the NCE and its Members to support wildlife protection and conservation in Namibia. The NCE has a membership of over 50 environmental NGOs, all of whom are eligible to use the aircraft and benefit from this extremely generous donation.

On 21 July 2017 six members of the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) visited the Bannerman Mining Resources Site about 40 km east of Swakopmund, near Goanikontes in the Namib Desert. Bannerman Resources undertakes a twice-yearly external environmental audit of its operations. This is done by Alex Speiser (A. Speiser Environmental Consultants). The NCE and its members were invited to participate, engage with Alex and the Bannerman team of Werner Ewald and Tinus Prinsloo, review what is being done and make suggestions.

NCE recently met two young, enthusiastic Chinese nationals who visited Namibia. Hongxiang Huang (Hong) and Edwina Zhang work for “China House” in Nairobi, Kenya. Hong is the Founder & CEO of China House - “committed to the development of a socially and environmentally responsible model of Chinese investment in Africa”. Their mission is “to help Chinese companies and individuals better integrate into Africa”.

On Saturday, 22 April 2017, between 09:00 and 12:00, the public completed a multiple-choice survey on plastics, and potential regulations to be imposed on the use of plastics. A total of 82 people completed the survey. The Plastic Free Campaign Petition was also signed by 147 people.

Read more and listen to an interview about how plastic waste affects Namibia.