Rewilding a Unique Namibian Landscape

Nestled in the rocky mountains and sandy plains just north of the Orange River, Natural State’s new Namibian project is setting the stage for an ambitious conservation initiative. In partnership with the Orange River Karoo Conservation Area (ORKCA), Natural State is working to develop a rewilding credit—a groundbreaking financial mechanism designed to safeguard this arid yet ecologically rich landscape.

As part of an ongoing collaboration between Natural State and the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, Natural State's Lucy Smyth and Ecosystems Programme's Yadvinder Malhi and Nikki Stevens embarked on a fieldtrip to visit the site. Nikki and Yadvinder were able to share their insights and ideas on monitoring biodiversity in arid and ephemeral regions and together they brainstormed how novel nature-based financial mechanisms can help to channel money into conservation.

We are never too busy to take a moment to hug a tree! Yadvinder took his chance to hug this desert giant, the Camel Thorn (Vachellia, formerly Acacia, erioloba) tree, an iconic part of this arid landscape. Photo credit: Nikki Stevens.

To understand the ecological dynamics of the ORKCA region, Natural State has been deploying camera traps and acoustic monitors, setting up vegetation plots, and taking soil samples at the site. These tools allow them to track wildlife movements, measure vegetation responses, and analyse soil health across different management regimes. The data collected will inform the design and implementation of the rewilding credit, ensuring that conservation efforts truly support ecological resilience.

The arid ecosystems of Namibia are full of interesting and quirky species, including the Quiver Tree (Aloidendron dichotomum). Quiver trees are a keystone species in these landscapes, providing resources to many desert species. They get their name from centuries of local San people harvesting and hollowing out their branches to make quivers for their arrows. Photo credit: Yadvinder Malhi.

Following this fieldtrip, Natural State has successfully completed thier pilot survey, marking a key milestone in defining the structure of the rewilding credit. By increasing landscape connectivity, they aim to help wildlife move more freely between pockets of resources, fostering stability in a harsh but beautiful environment. Moving forward, Natural State will refine monitoring approaches to measure the credit’s impact, ensuring its effectiveness in preserving this vital ecosystem.

Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the Aizoaceae family. They are indigenous to Southern Africa and form a unique part of the rich biodiversity of this landscape. A defining feature of this genus is the stone-like appearance of paired bulbous leaves, giving them their common names of pebble plants or living stones.

This collaboration is more than just a conservation project—it’s a pioneering approach to align financial incentives with ecosystem restoration. And with dedicated researchers and conservationists at the helm, the ORKCA landscape is poised for a sustainable future.