Despite Namibia having a successful community-based natural resources conservation programme, it suffers from fragmented and under-funded biodiversity finance.
This is set out in a draft report of the Biodiversity Finance Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) tabled at a stakeholder workshop in Windhoek last week.
The report said Namibia, which has a strong biodiversity policy foundation, relies heavily on external finance for biodiversity conservation and preservation.
The PIR is a core component of the global Biodiversity Finance (BioFin) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) being implemented in Namibia.
The BioFin project aims to help countries mobilise resources on scale to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by supporting baseline diagnostics, capacity building, institutional arrangements and biodiversity financing plans.
The PIR analyses the state of national biodiversity and the impact of existing national policies and helps establish a robust baseline for biodiversity expenditure.
Director for Forestry in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Johnson Ndokosho, told the workshop the PIR is an invitation to reaffirm “our shared commitment to protect Namibia’s natural heritage, not as a cost, but as an investment in our country’s long-term prosperity and resilience.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our shared journey to strengthen biodiversity finance and that nature remains central to sustainable development in Namibia,” he said.
UNDP’s deputy resident representative in Namibia, Christian Shingiro, said the review had “revealed strengths, weakness and opportunities within Namibia’s system, the progressive policies which have positioned the country as a conservation leader and areas where further alignment, innovation and investments are needed to sustain these achievements”.
Bernadette Shalumbu, sustainable finance specialist for BioFin at UNDP in Namibia, told The Namibian that the final document would be ready by the end of the year.
The workshop reviewed the findings and recommendations on legal and regulatory frameworks, sectoral coordination, financing and subsidies, public and private engagement funding, and secure long-term biodiversity outcomes.
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