The Rossing conservation Trails were started in 1983 with the aim to create environmental awareness within the youth of Namibia. This venture was successful but it was realised that it would take some years before the young people would become agents of change within the country. For this reason it was decided to focus attention on decision-makers and opinion leaders to participate in the trails.

As the conservation trails celebrate their 20-year’s anniversary, the Kuiseb River was visited. Developments like DRFN’s and MET’s Gobabeb research and training facilities, the development of the Walvis Bay lagoon environmental management plan, the formation of the Kuiseb catchment management committee and the establishment of the JP Brand Primary School outside Walvis Bay are signs of ongoing development towards sustainability. In future the Rossing Trails aim to continue raising awareness of development and sustainability issues with many stakeholders for many years to come.

Walvis Bay is located in the Kuiseb River delta.

The wetland adjacent to the town consists of Walvis Bay Lagoon, the beach and intertidal areas of Pelican Point, the occasionally flooded areas of the Kuiseb delta, the artificially flooded pans of the Walvis Bay salt works and the sewage reticulation works.

The Walvis Bay lagoon is the oldest lagoon on the Namibian coast and has been in existence for some 5000 years and was proclaimed Ramsar site in 1995.

Walvis Bay Ramsar site is the most important coastal wetland in southern Africa for palaeartic shorebirds. It is a safe haven for up to 160,000 birds as well as a feeding station for 200,000 shore birds and terns on their bi-annual migration routes to and from the arctic region. Interesting to know is that the small stint with his 25 g flies all the way to Siberia to breed and when he departs in March, he is back in October.

The management plan and the prefeasibility study for the Ramsar site which were inisiated by C. E. T. N. and the survey for the proposed Nature Reserve have been completed

Seventy percent of the world’s Chestnut banded Plovers rely on the Walvis Bay Lagoon for survival

Eighty percent od all Flamingo in southern Africa feed in the Walvis Bay wetland

More than 30 years ago a lot of development took place areound the Walvis Bay Lagoon without proper recognition being taken of the environmental impact of such modifications to the lagoon system.

Such short term planning has resulted in the exacerbation of an existing siltation problem to the extent that today the very existence of the lagoon is threatened.

The evaporation pans that have been created by the Salt Refinery have increased the population of the inter-African migrants, in particular the Lesser Flamingo With good mangement man and wildlife can co-exist.

All the legislation regarding the Walvis Bay Lagoon and the coastal environs up to 1994 was repealed by the act integrating Walvis Bay and the offshore islands into Namibia. New environmental and anti-pollution legislation is still expected to be enacted in future.

Experiencing the wildlife on Namibia’s own Ramsar site in Walvis Bay could be the adventure of a life time for every conservationist or nature lover local as well as abroad. In order to preserve our natural treasures for future generations, appropriate legislation is urgently needed.