Greenspace: The volunteer group safeguarding Avis Dam

Greenspace was established in 1994 as a non-profit, volunteer-driven organiSation committed to creating and maintaining a sustainable greenbelt network for urban Namibia.

For more than three decades, our work has been rooted in the belief that cities thrive when nature is protected, accessible, and valued.

Five years after our founding, a development proposal for a lodge at Avis Dam triggered the need for action. In response, Greenspace secured a 30-year lease from the City of Windhoek to manage the area around the dam. Our mandate is to protect the natural environment and provide a safe, inclusive and accessible recreational space for the public.

The time and effort in fulfilling this mandate is substantial, and although we are a small team of committed volunteers, we remain deeply motivated and passionate. Every hour of conservation work, trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, environmental monitoring, guard management, and community engagement is carried out voluntarily. This is a remarkable contribution to the City – at virtually no cost to the municipality.

Today, Greenspace has 188 formal members, and the Avis Dam sees hundreds of visitors every day, and many more on weekends. These are families, birdwatchers, hikers, dog-walkers, fitness groups, wedding groups, and nature lovers from every part of Windhoek.

The healthy biodiversity at the dam also gives excellent opportunities for students in the natural sciences to do their fieldwork.

What makes Avis Dam unique is not only its biodiversity but its social function. It brings together people from across communities – individuals who may have little else in common – for one shared reason: to enjoy nature.

The importance of natural urban spaces cannot be overstated. Very few capital cities in Africa have an undeveloped, biodiverse nature area inside their municipal boundary. This is a rare and invaluable asset to the City of Windhoek, and yet, we often face a communication gap. The City officials and Councillors may not fully understand the significance of the Avis Dam.

With our lease expiring in 2030, we are eager to see it being renewed and to engage constructively with the City so that this natural treasure continues to be protected – not only for today’s citizens, but for future generations.

Finally, our greatest long-term challenge is the constant pressure for land development. Windhoek’s expansion is necessary, but it must be balanced with the protection of ecological and recreational spaces. Despite the new Windhoek Structure Plan designating our area as a “Recreation and Protective Zone,” the risk of future encroachment is real.

Avis Dam is not just a landscape – it is a vital part of Windhoek’s wellbeing, identity, and resilience. Greenspace manages the natural habitat around the Avis Dam on behalf of the City of Windhoek.

Its purpose is to safeguard and preserve the dam area from any development which would threaten people’s experience of open space, as well as disturb the peaceful presence of birdlife and other animals living near the water. 

This gives the citizens of Windhoek the opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying the unspoiled nature around the dam.
The Avis Dam area is home to a great variety of animals, the most visible being the birdlife on the water. This year there were also sightings of a leopard in the eastern hills, a caracal near the dam wall, as well as a python on the northern end of the dam wall.

The natural environment and biodiversity around Avis Dam provide excellent material for field studies. University of Namibia and Namibia University of Science and Technology students regularly do field work at the dam.

In June 2025 the National Museum of Namibia’s Natural Sciences Subdivision conducted a field visit with students to demonstrate various sampling techniques used in the collection and documentation of zoological specimens.

Avis Dam also hosted several events this year including the OTB annual Avis Trail Run, the SPCA annual Mutt-Strutty dog walk, the Full Moon run by the Wednesday Social Running Crew, and a Pangolin Day fundraising walk.

Greenspace’s income is mainly generated from ticket sales, and its expenditures are largely for security costs. 

This year, Greenspace entered into a partnership with Gondwana Collection Namibia and PSG Wealth with the aim of enhancing the Avis Dam by improving the recreational facilities. 

The projects envisaged with this partnership will be done in phases; the first being the installation of information displays at the parking area near the dam wall. 

*Vera Freyer is the chairperson of Greenspace

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