According to the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development in the Brundtland Report (1987), sustainability refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Over the last three weeks, Gondwana’s environmental and social impact (ESI) team facilitated joint management committee meetings with stakeholders at various Gondwana lodges in northern Namibia. Some of the company’s lodges are situated in communal conservancies and operate under legal business contracts with conservancy partners, known as joint venture agreements (JVAs), which aim to equitably pool resources and expertise for shared business goals and mutual benefits.
The meetings, led by Gondwana community liaison officer Justice Muhinda and ESI manager Quintin Hartung, were attended by representatives from conservancies, traditional areas, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MEAC), the Namibian Police (NAMPOL), Namibia Revenue Agency (Namra), and Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC). These meetings honour the company’s JVAs and offer a platform for stakeholder collaboration on sustainable resource management, monitoring community development and conservation initiatives, and addressing mutual interests, concerns and solutions. Gondwana lodges in communal conservancies and traditional areas include Hakusembe River Lodge in t.