During the 2010 December holiday I was at my native village of Oniimwandi (3km west of Oshakati) and one day I took to a trip to a local undisturbed field.

Armed with a camera, a pair of binoculars and a 2005 field book ‘The Travel Guide of the Serengeti National Park’ by Veronica Roodt, I wanted to study the types of trees, plants and birds found in this field and their ecological roles.
My love for environmental reporting is hatched by the fact that the environment sustains our lives and we destroy it at our own peril. As I retired from my two hour-long field identification trip, somebody confronted me, telling me that I am stupid because I write about and take pictures of useless things, like plants, trees and birds.
I explained to the man that these things are very important to our livelihoods. Trees and plants are sources of both traditional and modern drugs. Birds play ecological roles in their habitats. But hea refused to agree. This incident led me to the conclusion that some Namibians have yet to understand the importance of environmental journalism. Yes, I it is a new field, but environmental journalists, really do make a contribution towards environmental protection. This field of journalism entails the collection, production and exhibition of information regarding current events, trends, issues and people that are associated with the interaction between nature and human beings.
Just like environmental law, environmental journalism supports the effective protection and management of the environment. Very often, environmental journalists advocate for changes to improve the quality of life on our planet and fight for environmental justice. Environmental journalists would question whether a certain construction company has conducted the necessary environmental impact assessment before it starts with construction, to determine whether such a construction will have a negative impact on the environment or not and if so, what can be done to reduce the impact. Water pollution can lead to contamination of wetlands and ground water sources. Desertification is often the result of people cutting down trees and overgrazing. Loss of biodiversity is a result of over-utilisation of resources. Climate change is mainly caused by anthropogenic activities. In a dry country like ours, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of droughts, resulting in a decrease in agricultural production.
Environmental journalists, must to educate the public on the importance of afforestation (the planting of trees), the sustainable use of biological resources, educating the public on why it is necessary to adapt to climate change. It is also the role of environmental journalists to seek insight from climate experts as to when the rains will come and how much we can expect. This information helps farmers determine the right time to plant their crops and thus avoids floods or droughts.
I believe environmental journalism is slowly finding its space in Namibian media.