FW: Namibia's National Report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement for 2024

[Elma Marais]

Dear all,

 

The Namibia’s 2024 national report on wildlife protection and law enforcement has recently been published and Chris Brown from the Namibian Chamber for the Environment kindly shared it with us. I am sure many would find it interesting. I can be found at this link:  https://the-eis.com/elibrary/search/33757

 

The document takes reporting on wildlife crimes, protection and law enforcement to the next level. It covers data from the past 10 years, and reflects a level of transparency and analytical sophistication that most countries can only dream of achieving in this sector. It looks at some of the data in new and more revealing ways. Indeed, it is a case study on how things should be done. It reflects advanced levels of collaboration and integration of organisations, not only within government, but also with NGOs, communities, the private sector and development partners. Many people talk about collaborative planning, implementation and reporting but few achieve it. The multi-agency partners who combat wildlife crime in Namibia make it happen, and the results speak for themselves.

 

This report also reflects honest and challenging introspection. It brings refreshing critical analysis to the question of “where could we do better”, “where are the bottlenecks in the system” and “how should we address them”. An example of this is the backlog in court cases and the length of time it takes to bring people before the courts. A major step forward in this regard is the recent establishment of a dedicate regional environmental court in Otjiwarongo to address this problem and also to elevated the level of knowledge and expertise around prosecuting wildlife crimes. If only all sectors of conservation and indeed life could be similarly self-reflective, how much better the world would be.

 

You are welcome to share it with your other networks.

 

Kind regards,

Elma

Elma Marais

Southern African Wildlife Management Association

PO Box 217

Bloubergstrand

7436

Ph: +27 713523226

Email: off...@sawma.co.za

Website: www.sawma.co.za