Sub-Saharan Africa, including Namibia, has been losing its natural savannah ecosystem at an alarming rate. Invasive bush species have been transforming the landscape across the region on a massive scale.

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In Namibia, 45 million hectares of once pristine grassland savannah now suffers from “bush encroachment”. This is an area larger than Germany.

 

Land affected by bush encroachment is heavily degraded. Ecosystems are collapsing; natural habitats are disappearing, affecting Namibia’s rich wildlife. Some species, like the Cheetah, are particularly affected, as they need open savannahs to survive.

 

Bush encroachment depletes soil moisture; so much so that it prevents other natural savannah vegetation from growing. This also reduces ground water recharge, critical to many Namibians.

 

Bush encroached land captures less CO2 than the natural savannahs it has replaced would. Thinning the bush and using it for energy enables more carbon capture within the soils and replaces fossil fuels – saving CO2 twice!

 

Bush encroachment has significant social impacts. Rural farming is one of the largest employers in rural southern Africa. Struggling to make ends meet, farmers in bush infested areas are much less productive than they used to be. With fewer rural opportunities, more people are moving into the cities, desperate for a better life.

 

The amount of bush biomass available in Namibia is renewable and unlimited. Acacia Energy uses this resource to create local harvesting opportunities, produce renewable energy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and to save and restore the savannahs. Acacia expects more and more products from bush biomass – from energy use, to building products and chemicals like lignin or sugars. Join us on our path to a greener future. Join our ride.