Conservancies are making a difference

CO-OPERATION between rural conservancies and lodges in their areas should be encouraged in Namibia as this will help the rural poor to gain an income, a senior researcher with a UK-based organisation said on Tuesday.

Caroline Ashley, from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London, said she has noted a big increase in the number of rural conservancies, many of which have joint venture agreements with lodges operating in their areas. This, she said, was a good thing as conservancies will reap benefits out of it.”The changes are tremendous,” said Ashley, who from 1994 – 1997 worked as a researcher in the Economic Unit of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).She said it was pleasing to note that some conservancies such as Khoadi //Hoas in the Kunene Region, even has it’s own lodge while the Torra Conservancy was doing well with it’s joint venture agreement with the Wilderness Safari’s Damaraland Camp.According to the 2005 statistics, an income of N$13 746 564 was generated from the activities of the community-based natural resource management programme, under which communal conservancies are being created.There are 44 registered communal conservancies in Namibia.Ashley said for the rural poor to fully benefit from tourism, they have to be trained as this would help them get access to the tourism market.Ashley held a presentation on “The Economic Impact of Tourism on Poor People: How much can we do?” in the capital on Tuesday evening, which was the tenth ‘Park Talk’ under the MET’s Strengthening of Protected Areas Network (SPAN) project.ODI is the UK’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues.Park Talk, is a bi-monthly talk and discussion session dedicated to Namibia’s national parks and their management.This, she said, was a good thing as conservancies will reap benefits out of it.”The changes are tremendous,” said Ashley, who from 1994 – 1997 worked as a researcher in the Economic Unit of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).She said it was pleasing to note that some conservancies such as Khoadi //Hoas in the Kunene Region, even has it’s own lodge while the Torra Conservancy was doing well with it’s joint venture agreement with the Wilderness Safari’s Damaraland Camp.According to the 2005 statistics, an income of N$13 746 564 was generated from the activities of the community-based natural resource management programme, under which communal conservancies are being created.There are 44 registered communal conservancies in Namibia.Ashley said for the rural poor to fully benefit from tourism, they have to be trained as this would help them get access to the tourism market.Ashley held a presentation on “The Economic Impact of Tourism on Poor People: How much can we do?” in the capital on Tuesday evening, which was the tenth ‘Park Talk’ under the MET’s Strengthening of Protected Areas Network (SPAN) project.ODI is the UK’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. Park Talk, is a bi-monthly talk and discussion session dedicated to Namibia’s national parks and their management.