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May 2006
In 1992 there was the Rio Earth Summit, then in 2002 the World summit on Sustainable Development was held in Johannesburg.
In September 2005 actor and environmentalist Robert Redford offered his 6,000 acre ranch for a summit attended by mayors of many of the top US cities to seize on the sustainable agenda.
Next month the UN’s Commission on Sustainable Development will meet in New York.
Why all the interest in sustainable development?

Graham Watkins the director of the Charles Darwin Foundation, which coordinates conservation research in the Galapagos islands, is on record as saying, “ Conservation of the Galapagos can only work if the biodiversity in the archipelago is owned in the hearts and minds of those that live there. If the local community does not benefit, it’s not going to support conservation. It is still possible to meld conservation and sustainable development in the islands”.

What is true in America and the west, is true in the Galapagos, and has also never been truer in Africa. For life as we know it to go on, it has to be sustainable, and it has to be sustainable in the hands of the people.  Here in Namibia with a landmass of 824,300 km2, and a population of a mere 1.8 million, one might think that there is room for all and the concept of sustainability is not a problem. If only it was so and man could continue to behave on a whim, indulge in extravagance, and flaunt his superior mind to the four winds. But alas the reality is that Namibia is a harsh, dry nation where the land dies of dehydration just as its inhabitants will if they do not take care to practice the art of sustainability and the science of conservation.

Overstocking of cattle and small stock on Namibian farms has resulted in bush encroachment which is reported to reduce potential grazing lands by as much as 3% a year. As grazing is reduced so is a farmer’s income potential. Solution; stock higher to keep the cash coming in. Result; environmental suicide. But there is good news, for the Namibian is a creative and resourceful creature. Just as the beasts which roam on the Namibian veldt learn to change and adapt, so too is land-use evolving into a more varied, economically sound and hopefully sustainable way which heralds a chance of success for the future. Tourism has become the fastest growing business in Namibia.

The western world has affluence, a certain amount of time on its hands to take holidays, and an education system which allows and inspires its people to travel and visit other parts of this world. Namibia has wide-open vistas, ranging from desert to savannah to woodland, inhabited by a myriad of flora and fauna, which with a keen eye will bring music to the soul. A visitor to Namibia is prepared to pay for his stay provided he is given a quality experience for his money.  Some  visitors to Namibia are happy if they have the knowledge that at least a portion of the money left behind goes back into the conservation of the land which they had the privilege to witness. Sustainable? Of course if managed properly. By the people? Absolutely no reason why not if the people are given the opportunity.

The AfriCat / Okonjima  relationship was established with sustainability as one of its goals. There will always be the need to seek funds for new ideas and projects which the Foundation tries to tackle, but the day-to-day costs are covered by and large from the visitors who come to see the Foundation, witness its work and share in its dreams. Likewise because the visitor comes to see AfriCat, so Okonjima can develop and expand the range of experiences it is able to offer. This relationship goes beyond symbiosis into the realm of synergism.                        .

And what of the people? Directly there is of course employment at Okonjima and AfriCat. But we can go much further than this. Future plans for AfriCat include developing the opportunities for locals and their families to farm both livestock and arable produce which can be used not only for their own use, but also marketed to the lodges, surrounding farms and in nearby towns. Farming techniques employed will naturally be environmentally friendly using minimum amounts of water and ensuring that wildlife, in particular predators, can live side by side with man’s endeavors. Onsite clinics and schools catering to the needs of the people will be established. There will be opportunities for locals to benefit directly from tourism, for example, by investing in and monitoring rhino – one of the “big five” that tourists are eager to see.   All this and more will be built into a model which, once running successfully, will be tried in other places.

Animal welfare of carnivores will always have a prime place at AfriCat, but the Foundation must grow and evolve as the needs of the environment and the people change. Environmental education of the youth, farmers and conservation officers requires renewed life breathed into it. Research needs to continue and expand into such areas as techniques of counting carnivores and other animals so that we can accurately establish population sizes and monitor their fluctuations. Field research, much of which is already under way, continually needs support which AfriCat hopes to be able to offer. Add all this together and AfriCat’s mission of ensuring the long-term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores comes a little closer.

As the 21st century firmly establishes itself as a new and dynamic era, sustainable development and the conservation of earths limited but valuable resources will continue to become ever more urgent and essential parameters by which we as human beings must lead our lives. . . . . 
The AfriCat Foundation is ready to play its part.