M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide and its role as a fundamental contributor to the economic sector cannot be understated. However, this growth has led to an increase in negative environmental impacts. The success of tourism rests on the quality of the natural environment where it has been developed. Therefore should the natural environment and its resources be damaged or destroyed, the very resource that attracted tourists is destroyed, and the tourism industry will eventually collapse. The worldwide drive toward sustainable development and the growth in environmental awareness has placed pressure on tourism ventures to measure and mitigate their environmental impacts. This study was initiated to investigate the current sustainable performance of two safari camps owned by Wilderness Safaris. The primary reason for selecting these specific camps, relates to the fact that they are situated on the boarder of one of the most sensitive environments on earth the Namib Desert, and therefore demand effective management in order to ensure environmental degradation is prevented. The study engaged in the development of a list of sustainable tourism issues and their associated indicators, to assess the current sustainability of the two camps. The research also aimed to formulate baseline data for future comparisons. The camp's current sustainability was determined by applying the selected sustainability indicators, to assess the camp's environmental, social and economic impacts on the surrounding biophysical and socio-economic environments. A cross-case analysis was then conducted comparing the results of each camps performance. The results were also compared to the company's group environmental minimum standards. This was done to provide Wilderness Safaris with an external verification of their camps current sustainable performance and to provide baseline data for future comparisons. The chosen set of sustainable tourism indicators provided a time and cost-effective means of assessing the current sustainable performance of the two camps. Site specific recommendations were made for each camp to improve their sustainable performance. Future studies conducted by Wilderness Safaris can use this study as a benchmark to compare the sustainable performance of their camps. In addition this study can also be used as a benchmark for comparisons by other tourism ventures in other developing countries around the world. The study contributes to the academic body of knowledge in the field of study surrounding the application of sustainable tourism indicators to measure and operationalize sustainable development of tourism ventures. Conclusions recounting the sustainable performance of the two camps are made as well as recommendations for further research.

Includes bibliographical references. / The purpose of this dissertation is to assess and evaluate various water level management options for the upgrading of Olushandja Dam in northern Namibia within the framework of the environmental impact assessment carried out for the project. This will enable the Namibian Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to improve their management of the dam for the benefit of the local communities and consumers in the Oshana Water Region (Figure 5 . 1). The dam has been in existence since 1975 and is part of the Calueque-Olushandja inter-basin water transfer scheme. A pipeline and a series of canals links Calueque Dam , on the Cunene River in Angola , with Olushandja Dam in Namibia and the urban areas to the east and south. In order to provide for the expected increase in water requirements from agricultural and rural development the scheme is presently being upgraded. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was initiated in 1994 by the DWA as a requirement of the Dutch Government who are funding the project. Biophysical studies were undertaken by staff from the DWA and private consultants from Windhoek. The socio-economic study was carried out by a study team from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, in association with a consultant from the University's Environmental Evaluation Unit (EEU). The EEU was appointed to compile a full EIA based on the findings of the specialist reports. This report is expected to be completed by October 1995.