Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) has revealed that the newly established Wood Identification Screening Centre equips trained technicians with advanced wood identification technologies, which boosts the fight against illegal timber trade.
These cutting-edge tools will allow inspectors to scientifically verify timber declarations and accurately identify wood species on the spot.
Africa’s first WIC officially opened its doors on 6 March.
According to the foundation, by providing forensic-level verification, the WIC will empower customs officials and environmental law enforcement to detect mislabeled or smuggled wood, ensuring that protected tree species are not illegally harvested or exported under pretenses.
The NNF explained that the WISC is hosted at the Namibian Police Forensic Science Institute in Windhoek, and the Center also equips technicians to verify timber declarations, detect illegal logging, and generate forensic evidence to support prosecutions. “By doing this, Namibia strengthens enforcement measures across the timber trade value chain. WISC uses Direct Analysis in Real Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry technology.”
They said this might sound complicated, but this technology is a rapid and easy-to-use technique and requires only a small wood sample, delivering results in minutes, and enabling quick verification of import and export declarations. “Every timber species has its own unique chemical fingerprint, and when a sample is sent to the center by officials such as border security, it is analysed and compared to the Forensic Spectra of Trees Database. Within minutes, trained technicians can accurately identify the timber species by comparing it to thousands of reference samples.”
The foundation added that the database is maintained by the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, with Namibian experts contributing samples from commonly traded timber species. “As the database grows and border officials receive more specialised training, it becomes increasingly difficult for illegal timber trade networks to go undetected.”
Established by the United States Department of Agriculture Forensic Service Office of International Programs and Trade, funding is provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and in close collaboration with the government.
