Conservancies get N$173m lifeline for climate resilience

Local conservancies have received N$173 million in funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to strengthen community-led efforts to adapt to the worsening impact of climate change.

The funding was secured through the ‘Empower to Adapt: Creating Climate-Change Resilient Livelihoods’ project and implemented by Namibia’s Environmental Investment Fund (EIF).

A report presented during the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, by the GCF showed that the project benefited more than 109 000 people, of which 60% are women.

Additionally, over 1 100 ‘green’ jobs have been created, while 33 community grants have helped 11 500 households adopt drought-tolerant crops and improved livestock practices.

This is in light of worsening droughts, wildfires, and invasive species that disrupt natural ecosystems.

EIF chief executive Benedict Libanda says the direct funding of conservancies without a middleman allows for faster adaptation.

“When communities control the funds, adaptation becomes faster, more inclusive, and more sustainable,” he says.

Previously, funding was done through the conservancy model established in the 1990s, which gave rural communities legal rights to manage wildlife and natural resources, but did not have access to climate finance which often remained out of reach.

Some of the regions that benefited are the Namib–Kaokoveld Desert and the Karoo, which Libanda said sustains unique ecosystems that depend on rare fog and winter rains, however, climate change has made it hard for them to thrive.

Currently, 70% of Namibians who rely on rainfed farming, pastoralism, and wildlife-based livelihoods, including smallholders, indigenous peoples, and women in remote areas are affected by climate change.

“The arid landscapes that define Namibia are also what make them so vulnerable. When climate finance reaches communities directly, they innovate, adapt, and lead their own change,” Libanda says.

Meanwhile, GCF regional officer for southern Africa Léonard Sylvain says the fund decided to use the enhanced direct access (EDA) method, which should be adapted globally.

“This project marked a global milestone in locally led climate finance. It proved that communities can manage adaptation funds effectively and deliver measurable results,” he says.

Sylvain says the project also introduced innovative solutions like the bush-to-feed model, which transforms invasive bush species into livestock fodder.

“This simultaneously restores degraded land and supports local livelihoods,” he says.

According to Sylvain, more than nine million hectares of trees and shrub savannah are now under improved management.

“The success of Namibia’s EDA pilot shows that when you trust communities, they deliver. It’s a model worth replicating globally,” he says.

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