Namdeb’s purposeful mining

Namdeb’s operations are located within the Tsau //Kaeb (Sperrgebiet National Park), adjacent to the Orange River and Namibian Islands Marine Protected Areas. The diamond miner places strong focus on protecting the natural world through responsible mining practices.

Namdeb is involved in numerous conservation, monitoring and ecological history programmes which aim to minimize the potential impact of its operations on the environment. Its environmental management is aligned with the park’s land use plan, making provision for rehabilitation and including environmental monitoring of natural inhabitants within the area.

The brown hyenas (Parahyaena brunnea) of the southern coastal Namib Desert are one of the inhabitant species found within the area. Brown hyenas are ecologically unique and they are the only large carnivore in the area, almost exclusively feeding on Cape fur seal pups (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Brown hyenas are the apex predators in the area.

Brown hyenas visit mainland Cape fur seal breeding colonies along the Namib Desert coast on their foraging trips to feed on fresh carcasses or to kill seal pups. Brown hyenas need to navigate to the coast through Namdeb’s mining license areas to access food.

Since the early 2000’s Namdeb has annually funded the Brown Hyena Research Project in collaboration with Dr. Ingrid Wiesel. Namdeb also continues to make provision for annual monitoring of the potential impacts diamond mining activities on the brown hyena population in the coastal southern Namib Desert.

Brown hyenas are currently classified as “Near Threatened” and have been declared a flagship species for the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park. This species is extremely vulnerable in Namibia and is currently listed as a protected species in the Nature Conservation Ordinance No. 4 of 1975.

The total population size of brown hyenas in southern Africa is estimated between 5000 and 8000 animals and Namibia’s population is estimated at a maximum of 1200 individuals, with the highest population density occurring along the coastline. This makes the Sperrgebiet, and its brown hyena population, very important for the long-term survival of Namibia's brown hyenas.

Since 2016, there has been a noticeable increase in brown hyena sightings in Namdeb’s Southern Coastal Mines (SCM). For understanding and proper assessment of operational impacts, Namdeb’s senior environmental officer at the Southern Coastal Mines, Liezl Maritz is conducting a baseline study on brown hyena densities and distribution inside Namdeb’s mining site, SCM and Karingarab license areas.

The first phase of the study involved hiking parts of the mining license areas to assess the activeness of dens and identify latrine sites, which indicates brown hyena territory boundaries. The second phase involves monitoring brown hyenas using camera traps, to identify individual brown hyenas and determine the population size in the mining license areas. Camera traps can also be used to detect changes in activity and indicate the importance of specific areas within brown hyena home ranges.

The smart partnership between Namdeb and the Brown Hyena Research Project ensures that Namdeb continues working towards the protection and long-term survival of this rare species.

The project is one of many that confirm Namdeb’s environmental commitments that demonstrate the good that diamonds do in creating a positive legacy.