This paper evaluates and synthesizes the past and present role of Etosha Pan and its significance to the surrounding ecosystem, much of it now zoned as a National Park for more than a century. The review incorporated here is drawn from cross-cutting results embracing and spanning the fields of geomorphology, hydrology, climate, soil and ecology. It emerged that the Etosha Pan provides direct and indirect (ecological) services and has an intrinsic ecological value to the park's ecosystem. Amongst other roles, the pan has a distinct influence on local climate, the distribution and abundance of wildlife and, in turn, on the tourism industry in the region. Huge flocks of flamingo, for instance, come to breed at Etosha Pan, and large herds of gemsbok, springbok, zebra, wildebeest, and giraffe are found in the terrain surrounding it. Although the Etosha Pan is an integral part of a large wildlife sanctuary and has been accorded a high conservation status due to its fragile ecology and importance to wildlife, nearly all of its significant catchment area falls beyond the protected zone. It is therefore imperative that as a necessary step in the conservation and functioning of its ecosystem, the catchment area of Etosha Pan be subjected to active ecological monitoring to help ensure its continued and beneficial existence. Keywords: Etosha National Park, Semi-arid, Wildlife, Ecology, Savanna.