Breaking the Silence on Conservancy Conservation and Tourism vs Mining – cont’d. (Part 3 of 4)

Tristan Cowley founded Tou Safaris in 2003, specializing in naturalist guided safaris to Namibia. In 2008 it merged with a like-minded safari company, which is how the tour- and lodge-operating enterprise “Ultimate Safaris” was born. It is now one of Namibia’s most renowned naturalist and specialist guiding safari companies and has been very active in the northwest of Namibia, aiming to join the local population and find solutions that benefit conservancies’ human – as well as wildlife population.

After the recent awarding of mining rights in an established tourism destination, he decided to share his thoughts. The open letter was written before the elections and on account of its relevance, NMH brings it to you in four parts:



TRISTAN COWLEY WRITES:

This is not lip-service or an empty promise, but a documented undertaking, with a proven track record and results. Conservancies use this money to pay pensions, orphan grants, funeral grants, bring solar power and water to homesteads, assist with tertiary education as well as support for livestock vaccinations, to name only a few of the benefits to their communities, and this in addition to running a sound conservancy as a going concern.

Despite this success, mining activities threaten to unravel decades of conservation work, expecting the communities and our joint operations to move aside after everything that has been built up. In areas home to critically endangered species like the near-endemic arid-adapted southwestern black rhino, mining is not a compatible activity.

The assertion that mining and conservation can coexist in fragile ecosystems is disingenuous. Our operations depend on black rhinos, a species critically sensitive to noise and human disturbance. Evidence shows mining activities – including heavy machinery and blasting – force rhinos to abandon their habitats, destroying the tourism models reliant on them.

The Huab Conservancy serves as a cautionary tale: mining in the area led to the loss of tourism operations, community income, and conservation efforts – all without any meaningful benefit to the local population.

In the Doros Joint Management Area near Twyfelfontein, an area that received international conservation recognition by being awarded the coveted PURE Conservation Award in September this year and one of our camps being voted one of the best hotels in the world by decorated explorer Richard Bangs, our operations generate millions annually for the community, creating long-term contracts, employment, and developmental support.

We therefore believe the Environmental Commissioner’s failure to assess the impact of mining on wildlife and tourism operations represents a gross oversight, yet mining proponents, armed with Environmental Clearance Certificates (ECCs) issued without proper assessment, threaten to upend this balance. This mirrors the tragedy in Huab, where the conservancy was left with no jobs, no tourism, and no environmental safeguards.



SYSTEMIC FAILURES AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

At the heart of these conflicts lies systemic failure. The Environmental Commissioner’s office has repeatedly issued ECC’s without adequately considering existing tourism Joint Ventures or the environmental and social impact of mining.

These decisions undermine conservancy management plans and black rhino custodianship agreements meant to protect endangered species like black rhinos. – To be continued



* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Network Media Hub (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.