Josephine-Naambo Iipinge – Etosha’s first female Deputy Director, Namibia’s Flagship National Park

Naambo is the deputy director of Namibia’s vast Etosha National Park, home to the world’s largest concentration of critically endangered black rhinos.   She has a profound history and extensive experience in environmental management and biodiversity conservation, with 19 years of experience in the environmental management sector. 

Her journey to this sector was motivated by her passion for biodiversity and sustainability and her sense of responsibility to make the planet a more equitable place. She noticed a few women in the sector and desired to make a difference and entice fellow women.  She believes women innately make good decisions as they consider how their actions will impact future generations; hence, it is imperative for them to be actively involved in determining how to sustain the environment.

Her passion for sustainability has led her to undertake pivotal roles in addressing human-wildlife conflict, effective community-based natural resource management, integrated landscape management, and coordinating transboundary conservation areas in Namibia with other SADC countries.

Ms. Iipinge envisioned working hard with her team and confronting the challenge of combating wildlife crime by addressing root causes, engaging communities, and leveraging technology, a holistic approach to safeguarding biodiversity, protecting endangered species and fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife.