Namibia: rebooting Africa's second-largest MPA 

The Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area, or NIMPA, is an area of outstanding marine biodiversity whose diverse habitats include lagoons, wetlands, salt pans, rocky shores, reefs, sandy beaches, kelp beds and several small islands. The islands are spawning grounds for Cape gannets and almost all Namibia’s endangered African penguins.

Since its gazettement in 2009 as Africa’s second-largest marine reserve, insufficient resourcing and management have meant that NIMPA has failed to protect many of its key values.  Today it is threatened by overfishing, mining, pollution, untested phosphate extraction, and even live marine mammal harvesting.  

With partners Namibian Nature Foundation we are supporting the government to achieve effective management of the NIMPA, and improve the livelihood opportunities of coastal communities. The government has committed to designating 10 per cent of its Exclusive Economic Zone as MPAs.   

To support this, we hope to use the lessons learned and models generated from NIMPA to help create two new MPAs by designating Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. Candidates for this include Cape Fria, a strong upwelling cell within a bio-geographic transition zone, and the Namibe, a region shared with neighbouring Angola.  

A dedicated workshop with government officials in 2025 drew up a roadmap to 10 per cent marine protection, explored sustainable finance options, and set future monitoring and research priorities.

Building local capacity is essential to lasting change. In 2025, we finalised a Namibia Ocean Literacy Toolkit, delivering teacher training, workshops, and school programmes to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. Our economic support has also helped cost national MPA expansion and is contributing to the development of a sustainable finance plan. 

Photos by: Jessica Kemper and Benoit Guazere