Dr Jeremia Amutenya
Lecturer: Nature Conservation
Qualifications
Biography
Dr Jeremia K. L. Amutenya is a Lecturer in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). He has over 14 years of professional experience spanning biodiversity conservation, protected area management, wildlife management, environmental law enforcement, natural resource governance, and research. His professional expertise integrates extensive field-based conservation management experience with academic teaching, applied research, and community engagement.
Before joining NUST in 2022, Dr Amutenya held various positions within the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), beginning his career as a Ranger in Etosha National Park and later as a Warden at Khaudum National Park. He later advanced to the position of Chief Warden, with responsibility for conservation management across four central regions of Namibia, before taking on a leadership role as Chief Warden responsible for the Intelligence and Investigation Unit (IIU). Through this journey serving in various roles, he gained extensive experience in conservation leadership, wildlife protection, environmental law enforcement, policy implementation, and stakeholder engagement at local, regional, and national levels.
Drawing on his extensive professional experience, Dr Amutenya integrates practical conservation challenges, policy perspectives, and field-based case studies into his teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and conservation practice. His research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, exploring the intersections of ecological science, biodiversity conservation, natural resource governance, conservation policy, and sustainable development.
Research Focus
- Biodiversity conservation and conservation ecology
- Wildlife management, monitoring, and conservation planning
- Human-wildlife conflict
- Protected area management and conservation effectiveness
- Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM)
- Natural resource governance, environmental legislation, and conservation policy
- Futures Thinking for Biodiversity Conservation and Planning
- Wildlife crime prevention, anti-poaching strategies, and environmental law enforcement
- Human dimensions of conservation and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental sustainability
Masters Students
Mapping human-wildlife conflict hotspots in Wuparo, Balyerwa, Kwandu and Salambala conservancies, Zambezi Region, Namibia. Student: Joseph Haitula [2026]
Examining Small Mammals' Ecological Variables as Indicators of Ecosystem Services in Various Land-Use Types within the Etosha West and South Landscape (EWSL), Namibia. Student: Daniel Inekela Shagama [2026]
Understanding Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Pangolin Poaching in Namibia. Student: RubenAngala [2026]
Publications
Alberts, R. C., Hauptfleisch, M., Retief, F. P., Roos, C., Cilliers, D. P., Amutenya, J., Moolman, H. J., Liebenberg, L., Haingura, G. K., & Bond, A. J. (2025). Developing a deliberative-Delphi method for informing national conservation capacity development strategies. The Journal of Environment & Development, 34(1), 101–125. DOI: 10.1177/10704965241271266
