Healthy land resources ensure food security

Ellanie SmitWINDHOEKNamibia’s ever-increasing population requires healthy land resources and flourishing ecosystems to ensure food security for vulnerable communities who are most at risk of suffering the adverse effects of a poorly managed environment.The assistant representative for the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Namibia, Ferdinard Mwapopi, said this at the inception workshop of the dryland sustainable landscape impact programme (DSL-IP), which took place in Rundu recently.The project is titled ‘integrated landscape management to reduce, reverse and avoid further degradation and support the sustainable use of natural resources in the Mopane-Miombo belt of northern Namibia’.Widespread degradationMwapopi said since this project aims to safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of Namibians residing within the three targeted landscapes of Omusati, Oshikoto and the Kavango East regions, it is crucial that key stakeholders, including the project team, understand and take ownership of the project’s goals and objectives. He said the two-day workshop was a key project activity that serves to allow stakeholders an opportunity to discuss and provide input to the project’s work plans, activities, budget and logistical framework.“Land degradation is widespread and takes various forms in the vast space occupied by Namibia.”Protect the vulnerableMwapopi said the FAO has recognised the ever-increasing need to ensure sustainable livelihoods for those drawing benefits from available natural resources. This is especially true for those across landscapes that are gradually under threat from various causes of land degradation brought on by harmful natural occurrences and human-induced activities such as climate change and deforestation as a result of poor farming and other unsustainable land use practices, pollution and wildfires.He said the DSL-IP, globally led by FAO with funding support from the Global Environment Facility, aims to reverse land degradation and ensure sustainable use of natural resources in the dryland countries, including Namibia, with the ultimate aim of achieving land degradation neutrality.“This inception workshop therefore serves as an important platform to ensure that all stakeholders acquaint themselves with their respective roles, functions, and responsibilities for the project implementation and the various hierarchies and structures responsible for the project’s decision-making, including financial reporting and communication.” He stated that the workshop provided them with the opportunity to create an enabling environment for the project’s smooth implementation and to ensure stakeholder ownership of the project.

Healthy land resources ensure food security

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-04

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Healthy land resources ensure food security

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-04

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