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Gigantic forest fires in the Amazon threaten the "green lung of the world"; catastrophic floods and droughts claim human lives...  The ecological equilibrium of our planet is in jeopardy. No wonder that the magic word "sustainability" is suddenly on everyone's lips. It’s time to rethink and find a new approach to life in order to keep our world in balance for future generations. Gondwana Collection Namibia was, however, founded on the basis of sustainability more than 20 years ago.

The two-day national economic growth summit in Windhoek ended on 1 August with some N$20 billion worth of projects committed. The Namibian Ports Authority (NamPort) has started operations at its brand new container terminal in Walvis Bay this month. Germany’s Minister for economic cooperation, Gerd Müller, arrived end of August in Namibia for an official visit. The country’s central bank has for the first time in nearly two years dropped its repo rate from 6.75 to 6.50 percent. 

The southern parts of the country are home to the black spitting cobra (Naja nigricincta woodi), a snake which prefers dry riverbeds and an arid environment with ample hiding places. It grows up to two metres long and is a subspecies of the western barred spitting cobra (Naja nigricincta nigricincta), popularly known as zebra snake.

Namibia's clear night skies away from the larger cities are internationally known among hobby astronomers. Lesser known is the fact that about 100 km west of Windhoek, at 1,800 m altitude, there are several huge reflecting telescopes near the majestic Gamsberg, looking for cosmic rays since 2002 for scientific purposes. Around 260 scientists of 40 scientific institutes from 13 countries, including Namibia, are involved in the H.E.S.S. project at Farm Göllschau, the world's largest reflector telescope system for gamma rays.

Part-time aircraft engineer. Full-time royalty. This is not the kind of job description one sees on a CV every day. Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo has recently been crowned the new Ondonga King in the north of Namibia. Although Tatekulu Shuumbwa has assumed his new duties as king, he still fulfils certain duties as aviation auditor for the Namibian Air Force when his services are required.

The current drought is worse than that of 1981, which is known as the drought of the century, says the Chief Conservation Officer of famous Etosha National Park, Deputy Director Pierre du Preez. The last rainy season (2018/19) on average yielded only 30 percent of Etosha’s normal rainfall, and the problem is further aggravated by the fact that especially the park’s western parts have experienced drought for the past three years.

“Hit the Beat – In Rhythm we meet” - Waldorf School Windhoek would like to invite music and dance enthusiasts to their performance on 14, 15 and 16 August 2019. This extraordinary performing arts project involves 55 learners of Waldorf School Windhoek, as well as musicians, artists and teachers from Namibia and Germany.

A hundred kilometres east of Swakopmund on the B2, at the turnoff to Spitzkoppe and Henties Bay, is the Ûiba-Ôas crystal market, a gemstone market of note. An array of sparkling stones - fluorite, tourmaline, aquamarine, crystal quartz, garnets and topaz - fill the tables. The Erongo Region, where the crystal market is found, has many mining communities who earn their livelihood from the sale of their stones.

On the way to Palmwag from Damara Mopane Lodge near Khorixas, I stopped in at the small settlement of Vrede. Vrede looks like any other settlement along the route, but its residents have a very interesting history. The members of the twelve households that live in Vrede are all Riemvasmakers, their families having once lived in Riemvasmaak in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

Can I save water when taking a shower? How many people in Namibia cook with solar power, wood, gas or electricity? How can I save energy? How much water do I use every day and what for? What type of transport is the most environmentally friendly? These questions and many others are answered at the Urban Sustainability Centre of NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust) in Swakopmund.