Although the Namib is said to be the oldest desert in the world, UNESCO only listed it as a World Heritage Site last year. This incredible spot is home to the highest sand dunes on Earth, along with 3500 species of plants of incredible diversity, all adapted to the arid climate. Elephants, antelopes, lions, giraffes and rhinoceros roam freely in the Namib with neither fence nor enclosure, as if at the dawn of time. The Namib Desert is a heaven for endangered species. Thanks to its conservation project, the only one of its kind within Africa, it has become a modern-day Noah’s Ark. Management of the protected areas has been entrusted to the local people and in particular to the Himba, the dominant tribe of the desert.
Underground, there are hidden treasures, diamonds, uranium and iron. From the beginning of the 20th century the Namib has attracted miners from all over the world, with an increasing appetite. Today, new mining projects threaten the ecosystem of the region. Olivia crosses the desert from the South to North, sharing the difficult everyday lives of the people of the desert. Exploring this rich but fragile garden of Eden, she attempts to understand why the survival of the desert is so important to the people and animals that live there. During her trip she hopes to catch sight of one of the most elusive inhabitants of the Namib, the desert lion.
