Namib Huib Plateau Park Namibia

Conservation

Introduction:

Following the discovery of Namibia's first diamond near Kolmanskop in 1908, sole prospecting and mining rights were granted over the area stretching 300 kilometers from the Orange River in the south to just north of Lüderitz and 100 kilometers inland from the coast – some 30 000 sqkm in total. In view of the nature of the deposit, the area was fenced and closed off to general public access. The area became known as the Sperrgebiet - the closed or forbidden territory.

Since 2001 an overall development objective has been formulated by the Namibian government, aiming towards the deproclamation of the Sperrgebiet and its ultimate integration into a trans-frontier conservation area between Namibia , South Africa and Angola.

In order to widen the scope of these goals of rehabilitation and prevention of destruction, a group of conservationists has embarked on acquiring farms adjacent to the erstwhile Diamond Area 1, with the intention to eventually link the Fish River National Park with the ecological fragile desert area of the Sperrgebiet National Park .

This newly created conservation area, the Namib Huib Plateau Park , presently consists of 1 730 sqkm, bordering the Sperrgebiet for about 90 kilometers and stretching eastwards onto the Huib Plateau.

All forms of domestic and commercial farming have been stopped and all the internal fences are in the process of being dismantled with the intention to reinstate the ancient migration routes used by various game species endemic to the area prior to the intervention from man.

Geology:

Due to the extremely arid climate, the meagre winter rainfall and the high-energy wind regime, the area provides good exposures of the geological record dating back some 1 500 million years and displays spectacular examples of desert sedimentary processes in action.

The oldest rocks found here are the 1500 million year old gneisses of the Namaqua Metamorphic Complex, dating back long before the disintegration of the super-continent, Gondwana, with South America splitting away from Africa, some 130 million years ago.

Geomorphologically, the area of the Huib Plateau Park displays a wide variety of landscapes including inselbergs, low mountain ranges, gravel plains, fossil soils forming extensive hard surfaces, red semi-stabilised dunes and ephemeral watercourses.

Palaeontology:

Palaeontology, the study of past forms of life, has contributed much to the understanding of the geological evolution of the whole area. Incidentally, the only specimen of Ediacara fauna and flora left in the world, dating back 534 million years, are located within the Namib Huib Plateau Park.

Climate:

Falling within the southern sector of the Namib Desert, the climate of the Sperrgebiet and the Namib Huib Plateau Park is dominated by three main factors:

strong southerly winds in summer and short-duration berg winds from inland in winter
meagre rainfall, generally less than 100 mm per annum, which falls predominantly in the winter, changing gradually to summer rainfall towards the east
precipitation from fog that forms along the coast and extends inland to provide life-giving moisture

Inland temperatures can be extreme, although the high temperatures expected of a desert environment are moderated by the coastal winds and fogs.

Vegetation:

The eastern sand plain zones of the Sperrgebiet, which form the western border of the Namib Huib Plateau Park , consist mainly of gravel plains which are superimposed by a few inselbergs.

In this stretch there is only one single permanent dune system of note.

The plains support a fairly dense shrubby flora made up of a mosaic of dominant plants, including several Euphorbia species, as well as a large variety of succulents, litops or stone plants. Scattered stands of camelthorn trees are found in the ephemeral washes.

Towards the eastern, and more mountainous section of the park the vegetation increases to entail Aloes, lichens, Penny bushes and Quiver trees.

The entire Sperrgebiet and large parts of the Namib Huib Plateau Park fall in one of the 25 global ‘hotspots' of biological diversity – an international recognised global and national priority for conservation based on extreme richness and uniqueness of species. Therefore this entire area is of scientific, conservation and wilderness importance.

Animal life:

Because the area is a transitional zone between summer and winter rainfall regions, it experiences habitat changes from the Namib proper in the west to the pro-Namib nearer the escarpment in the east.

Fourty five species of terrestrial mammals have been recorded, but it is believed that a further 31 plus are expected ? The following Red Data Book species do however occur: leopard; aardwolf; brown hyena; Cape fox; spotted hyena; bat-eared fox; wild cat; cheetah.

The larger mammals include gemsbok/ oryx and springbok, which are widespread throughout the area.

Six animals are known to be locally extinct: elephant, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black and white rhino, giraffe and hippo.

Archaeology:

Archaeological evidence shows that people have lived in the area for at least 300 000 years, and possibly much longer. The earliest stone tools date from the late Acheulian period of the Early Stone Age.

Later Stone Age people were mainly hunter-gatherers living on the coast and at sites inland such as rocky outcrops where water was available.

Tourism:

As for the Sperrgebiet, much of the long term value of the Namib Huib Plateau Park lies in its tourism potential as unspoiled wilderness.

The vast open spaces towards the west offer scenic views for the desolation-loving photographer, while the eastern section may have a few thrills for the more adventurous nature friend.

Aim of the Namib Huib Plateau Park :

In congruence with the national plan for the Sperrgebiet to establish a management system aimed at the rehabilitation and prevention of destruction of pristine sections of the Namib desert with the ultimate goal to eventually integrate it into a transfrontier conservation area, the Namib Huib Plateau Park will be following and implementing exactly these principles.

The establishment of a management system aimed at the long-term sustainable economic and ecological potential of the area, is one of the immediate priorities.

It must be emphasized that such areas have the potential to remain valuable and attractive for a long time to come, but that these qualities will be lost if they are not actively conserved.

Management however, should not imply denying access to all but a few privileged persons, but there must be a balance to allow interested people the opportunity of experiencing what the place has to offer without jeopardising its value for future visitors.