Protected Areas in Namibia
Parks and reserves are declared under the Nature Conservation Ordinance No. 4, 1975, as amended in 1987. Definitions used include national park, game park, national recreation area, nature reserve. Private nature reserves may be proclaimed on privately-owned land. As a result of the growth in tourist numbers over the past decade, a national tourism strategy has been developed to identify needs and to coordinate further development.
Following independence, the Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism was formed. The aims of this ministry, which follow the objectives of the UNEP World Conservation Strategy are: to maintain and rehabilitate essential ecological processes and life support systems; to conserve biological diversity and to ensure the sustainable utilisation of resources.
Within the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Directorate of Park and Wildlife management is responsible for the management of protected areas in order to:
- maintain the infrastructure in parks and recreation areas at a standard that will ensure maximum benefit for tourists;
- strictly enforce the Law and Regulations and maintain tourist control in a fair and decent manner.
Designations:
*National park: The purposes of such areas are for the propagation, protection, study and conservation therein of wild animal life, wild plant life and objects of geological, ethnological, archaeological, historical and other scientific interest and for the benefit and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the Territory and other persons. Prohibited activities include the production of wood or the collection of any forest produce.
*Game park: Game parks, including those which are privately owned, are not maintained for hunting.
Transfrontier Parks
The Parks marked with the logo  are the Namibia areas within Transfrontier Parks or Transfrontier Conservation Areas. The Transfrontier Park is:
- Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park (Namibia and South Africa)
Source: World database on Protected areas, UNEP-WCMC, Peace Parks Foundation
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