Also known as: MEFT · Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT)
Government ministry responsible for wildlife management, conservation, firefighting, and tourism sector oversight in Namibia.
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The Namibian
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism paid tribute to Owen-Smith as an iconic figure in tourism
“The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism also paid tribute to Owen-Smith as "an iconic figure in tourism" who pioneered Namibia's community-based natural resources management programme”
Tributes pour in for ‘conservation giant’A total of 575 animals were moved from Etosha National Park to conservation areas across Namibia, including communal conservancies in the Kunene Region, as part of efforts to restore wildlife populations, improve ecological balance, and strengthen community-based conservation.
17 July 2026 · Informanté →
A total of 575 animals were moved from Etosha National Park to conservation areas across Namibia, including communal conservancies in the Kunene Region, as part of efforts to restore wildlife populations, improve ecological balance, and strengthen community-based conservation.
17 July 2026 · Informanté →
A total of 575 animals were translocated from Etosha National Park to conservation areas across Namibia, including communal conservancies in the Kunene Region, as part of efforts to restore wildlife populations, improve ecological balance, and strengthen community-based conservation. The translocation was led by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism through collaboration between government, communities, and conservation organisations.
17 July 2026 · Informanté →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has extinguished a wildfire in the Khorixas area of Kunene Region after several days of firefighting operations. The fire affected 19,353 hectares of land in the region this year, and the ministry is urging the public to handle fire responsibly and cooperate during firefighting operations.
16 July 2026 · Informanté →
A wildfire in the Linyanti area of the Zambezi Region, which broke out over the weekend near the Namibia–Botswana border, was extinguished after a prolonged firefighting operation by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism supported by community members. The blaze burned approximately 7,340 hectares with no human fatalities or losses of wildlife or livestock recorded.
14 July 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's plastic bag levy has generated N$249 750 858.91 between the 2021/22 financial year and the first half of the 2025/26 financial year, with the revenue funding waste management, recycling and green economy projects. The levy, introduced under the Customs and Excise Act and expanded from 2018–2019, aims to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bags and promote environmentally responsible behaviour.
14 July 2026 · New Era →
Communal farmers in Kunene region are calling for an urgent review of the government's human-wildlife conflict offset payment scheme, saying current payments do not reflect the true value of their animals. The Otjikaambuti Farmers Association reports that lions have killed about 40 cattle and over 100 goats and sheep since January this year in villages near Etosha National Park.
13 July 2026 · New Era →
Firefighters and community members are battling a rapidly spreading wildfire at Linyanti in the Zambezi Region. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said the fire is spreading quickly due to strong winds and heavy fuel loads, with no reported losses of livestock, wildlife, or human lives so far.
13 July 2026 · Informanté →
The government and international partners, launching the GEF-UNIDO Namibia Child Project, emphasised that Namibia's green hydrogen transition must create opportunities for women, young people and local communities. The project aims to strengthen the country's policy framework, institutional capacity, technical readiness and environmental safeguards as it positions itself as a green hydrogen producer.
10 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Pupkewitz Toyota and Children in the Wilderness donated conservation equipment worth N$40,000 to rhino rangers protecting desert-adapted black rhinos in the Kunene Region. The donation, which includes backpacks, sleeping bags, binoculars, hiking shoes and knives, was distributed to rangers from Torra, Sesfontein and Anabeb conservancies.
9 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Community members in Kavango East region's Hoha village achieved a successful winter vegetable harvest under the Adaptation to South-Western African Communities Project, with farmers receiving training in climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture, and organic soil enrichment methods. Local small-scale farmer Martina Ntjinano said the project skills have enabled her to produce food for household consumption and sale, reducing reliance on government drought relief.
8 July 2026 · New Era →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has finished a controlled burning exercise in Etosha National Park to reduce excess vegetation and firebreak risks during the August–November wildfire season. The measures, including grading of firebreaks, are expected to reduce the intensity and spread of fires compared to last year.
30 June 2026 · Informanté →
Home Affairs Minister Lucia Iipumbu told the inaugural Namibia Customer Care and Effective Service Delivery Conference that service delivery is central to institutional credibility and national development. A Citizen Satisfaction Survey recorded 54% overall public satisfaction with government service delivery; the Ministry of Home Affairs recorded about 50%.
29 June 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia welcomed 1,217,108 tourists in 2025, down from 1,257,093 in 2024, a decline the tourism minister attributed to global economic conditions, shifting traveller preferences, intensifying competition from other destinations, and concerns about visitor safety and security.
29 June 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Movement restrictions on cloven-hoofed animals and animal products in Oshikunde, Okongo, and Mpungu constituencies have been lifted following a buffalo sighting in May that tested negative for Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
13 June 2026 · Informanté →
The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment will be undertaken to advance the Neckartal Dam project into Phase Two, which aims to develop the irrigation component. The project covers approximately 19,000 hectares of government farms in the //Kharas Region.
12 June 2026 · Informanté →
Gemsbok Farm trainees under the National Youth Service have benefited from the NILALEG project, which has generated more than 300 jobs through investments in fodder and charcoal production, along with practical training in sustainable agricultural practices. More than N$800,000 has been invested to support the initiative, which aims to empower young people and create sustainable economic opportunities in rural areas.
11 June 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia has launched the Black Rhino Association of Namibia (BRAN), a national coordination platform to strengthen collaboration, data sharing, and conservation efforts across the country's black rhino custodianship network, building on decades of conservation success through translocations, protected areas, and community-based approaches.
31 May 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's government and the World Wildlife Fund will sign a funding agreement worth over N$1 billion to support long-term conservation efforts under the Namibia for Life initiative, using the Project Finance for Permanence model. The agreement will be signed on 20 May 2026 at Droombos, with attendance from the Prime Minister, Environment Minister, community conservancy leaders, civil society, donors, and the private sector.
17 May 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel told Africa's Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban that the country's tourism contribution is rooted in sustainability, policy alignment, innovation and market positioning, and called for African nations to work together to strengthen storytelling around the continent's tourism offerings.
14 May 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia has recorded eight rhino poaching incidents during the first four months of 2026, with seven rhinos killed in Etosha National Park and one poached on a private farm, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. The ministry has allocated more than N$350 million in the current financial year to strengthen conservation efforts and combat wildlife crime.
7 May 2026 · Informanté →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has set the 2026 hunting season for game animals and birds, with some activities allowed until the end of August. Hunting periods vary by farm type—from 1 May to 31 August on game-proof fenced farms and conservancies, and from 1 June to 31 July on adequately fenced farms—with species-specific and daily limits; hunting generates about N$400 million annually for Namibia.
7 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
More than 600 ovaHimba and ovaTjimba community members gathered in April 2026 to voice concerns about the planned 840 MW Baynes Hydropower Dam, citing inadequate consultation on a project that could affect their land, livelihoods, and access to water from the Kunene River. The site visit, led by Namibia's Ombudsman and facilitated by International Rivers, followed a formal complaint filed in April 2024 by traditional leaders about their exclusion from the project's consultation process.
6 May 2026 · Informanté →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism confirmed that Deadvlei is open to self-driving visitors in 4×4 vehicles and those using a designated shuttle service, while buses and trucks are prohibited. The new regulations, which take immediate effect, were introduced to manage visitor numbers and protect the environment, though tour operators reported delays and unclear instructions during implementation.
2 May 2026 · Informanté →
The Namibian Police in Omusati are investigating law enforcement officers for allegedly abusing a poaching suspect during questioning following an operation in Etosha National Park. The suspect was reportedly subjected to severe physical abuse by a joint team of NDF, NamPol, and Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism officials, resulting in serious injuries, and was taken to hospital for treatment.
30 April 2026 · Informanté →
Walvis Bay mayor Johannes Shimbilinga has pledged to address landfill fires that have blanketed parts of the town in smoke, citing public health and air quality concerns. He attributed the fires to unauthorised activity and tyre burning, announced an immediate ban on tyre dumping, and said the municipality is working to transfer land within Dorob National Park to improve site management.
30 April 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Hospitality Association of Namibia has warned that the Competition Commission's questioning of exclusivity clauses in the country's joint-venture tourism model could undermine investment, conservation, and rural livelihoods. The association argues that exclusivity is essential to securing long-term private-sector funding for over 50 community-based tourism lodges and campsites operating under the framework.
23 April 2026 · Informanté →
Former Cabinet minister Calle Schlettwein has opposed the government's decision to restrict access to Deadvlei in Namib-Naukluft Park, saying the closure of Sossusvlei for self-drive visitors and requirement to use a single concessionaire robs Namibians of their right to free access. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced last week that only two categories of operators—Grow Namibia and registered tour guides employed by lodges—will be authorised to provide shuttle services to Deadvlei effective 1 May 2026, with self-driving beyond the 2×4 parking area no longer permitted for tourists.
21 April 2026 · New Era →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced that effective 1 May 2026, self-driving access to Deadvlei from the Sossusvlei 2×4 parking area will be restricted; only two categories of operators—Grow Namibia (trading as About Adelt Sossusvlei Management) and registered lodge tour guides—will be permitted to provide shuttle services.
18 April 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's Cabinet has withdrawn the Okoutjete area in Kunene region from prospecting and mining activities and directed police to patrol and monitor the site to deter illegal mining. The decision reserves the Okoutjete gold occurrence from mining operations under the Minerals Act, subject to consultation with the Environment Ministry.
10 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Frederick Moses Jacobs has established a fruit garden at Farm Constancia Opstal near Keetmanshoop, growing guava, mango and lemon trees on land his late father once worked. Despite challenges including bird damage and the harsh climate, the trees are bearing fruit, and Jacobs hopes to eventually expand into commercial production.
10 April 2026 · New Era →