Big boost for conservancies

NAMIBIA’S rural conservancies on Monday received a huge financial boost that will help them grow and create much-needed jobs for the rural poor.

Donations totalling N$162 million were made to three development programmes that focus on rural conservancies, it was announced at a reception organised by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Windhoek. The N$162 million will be shared among the World Wildlife Fund’s Life Plus Project, the Integrated Community-Based Ecosystem Management (ICEMA) and the Integrated Rural Development for Nature Conservation (IRDNC).The ICEMA project received N$46 million from the World Bank’s Global Environment Fund (GEF).It will use the money to help communal conservancies shift from a wildlife-focused ecosystem approach through strengthening their legal and policy framework.The Life Plus project received N$64 million from USAID Namibia and will run for five years.A consortium of donors, led by the World Wildlife Fund in the UK, provided about N$52 million to fund IRDNC programmes in the Kunene and Caprivi regions.The IRDNC supports about 40 emerging and established conservancies in the two regions.Rural conservancies were established through the Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRM) of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.The programme provides opportunities for rural communities to gain rights over local wildlife and tourism through the formation of conservancies.Last year, rural conservancies earned N$13,6 million, mainly from tourism and hunting, compared to N$1,1 million in 1999.The Ministry estimates that by 2010, cash and non-cash benefits received by individuals and communities participating in the conservancy programme will exceed N$35 million.The N$162 million will be shared among the World Wildlife Fund’s Life Plus Project, the Integrated Community-Based Ecosystem Management (ICEMA) and the Integrated Rural Development for Nature Conservation (IRDNC).The ICEMA project received N$46 million from the World Bank’s Global Environment Fund (GEF).It will use the money to help communal conservancies shift from a wildlife-focused ecosystem approach through strengthening their legal and policy framework.The Life Plus project received N$64 million from USAID Namibia and will run for five years.A consortium of donors, led by the World Wildlife Fund in the UK, provided about N$52 million to fund IRDNC programmes in the Kunene and Caprivi regions. The IRDNC supports about 40 emerging and established conservancies in the two regions.Rural conservancies were established through the Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRM) of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.The programme provides opportunities for rural communities to gain rights over local wildlife and tourism through the formation of conservancies.Last year, rural conservancies earned N$13,6 million, mainly from tourism and hunting, compared to N$1,1 million in 1999.The Ministry estimates that by 2010, cash and non-cash benefits received by individuals and communities participating in the conservancy programme will exceed N$35 million.