Case Studies
Introduction
The SCIONA project, funded by the EU and implemented in Namibia by NUST (Namibia University of Science and Technology), was aimed at strengthening cross-border ecosystem management and wildlife protection in the Iona – Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) from Angola to Namibia. This was done through the co-designing and implementation of conservation monitoring technology with the park authorities and surrounding communities.
The Challenge
The main office was set-up in Marienfluss, the very remote Kunene area in the extreme northwest of Namibia. The Kunene area borders Angola with the Baines and Zebra Mountains to the north, along which the Kunene River flows west to the Atlantic. A very remote and geographically challenged area, with no connectivity.
For the SCIONA project office, NUST required reliable broadband services for their computers, a WiFi access point as well as an alternative power source
The Solution
A Twoobii system was installed through our channel partner, Bradley Technologies, to provide high-speed reliable internet while operating on a solar system to provide a fully “off-grid” solution. This service has been running seamlessly since 2021 and when the project was completed, the service was transferred to the community as part of the Digital Hub.
“The Marienfluss community has truly benefitted from Twoobii’s satellite broadband. By being connected they are able to capture incidents related to human-wildlife conflicts, warn surrounding communities of the movement of dangerous wild species, communicate with their relatives located in different parts of the region and with their children who are based in schools in urban towns. This often saves them a 200km trip to the town of Opuwu.”
– Tango Amadhila, part of the SCIONA Research Team from NUST
