Billions for conservation

Namibia has launched a new long-term financing initiative for community conservation.

The “Namibia for Life” initiative was officially signed in Windhoek on Wednesday and is valued at more than N$1.1 billion. It aims to secure the future of the internationally recognised Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme.

At the centre of the initiative is a financing model designed to extend beyond short-term donor cycles. It includes an endowment fund intended to provide stable long-term support for conservancies, local communities and conservation projects. According to government, more than 20 million hectares of land are expected to be placed under protection while around 283 000 people are set to benefit.

Working together for conservancies - Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare described the signing as a historic milestone. He said Namibia’s conservation trajectory is internationally recognised and must be preserved for the benefit of current and future generations. He also stressed the importance of cooperation among the country’s 87 communal conservancies. Progress, he said, would only be possible if local communities, traditional authorities, government, non-governmental organisations and development partners worked together.

Environment minister Indileni Daniel said the initiative reinforces the government's commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources in line with the Namibian Constitution. The CBNRM programme combines conservation with rural development and aims to ensure people living in conservancy areas benefit directly from wildlife, tourism, community forests and other natural resources.

Benefits for local residents

Part of the funding will also go toward a socio-economic development fund. The fund is expected to support local priorities, including jobs, training, small businesses and infrastructure projects in conservancy areas. Conservation should, therefore, not only be seen as protecting landscapes and wildlife but also as a foundation for income and development.

Namibia’s communal conservancies now cover a large portion of communal land. They employ thousands of people, including game guards and forest guards. Ngurare said the programme has contributed to the recovery of wildlife populations, including elephants, black rhinos and cheetahs in areas previously heavily affected by poaching and drought.

Challenges nevertheless remain. These include governance, accountability and human-wildlife conflict. Ngurare said the new initiative must therefore also strengthen financial oversight within conservancies and ensure that local residents receive fair and meaningful benefits.