Wildlife economy pumps 186m into rural communities

Community conservation is generating millions for rural Namibians, with more than 186 million flowing to communities through conservancies linked to Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC).

The conservation organisation this week launched its 2026–2031 strategic plan, outlining how it plans to strengthen community governance, protect biodiversity and expand economic opportunities linked to natural resources across Namibia.

According to IRDNC, income generated by conservancies supported through its programmes has grown significantly over the past decade, increasing from 34.4 million in 2015 to 78.2 million in 2024. The funds are used to support wildlife management, mitigate human-wildlife conflict and fund community development initiatives such as education, healthcare support and infrastructure.

Executive director John Kenena Kasaona said the organisation’s next phase will focus on ensuring rural communities continue to benefit directly from conservation while protecting Namibia’s natural heritage.

“Our vision for the next five years is bold, yet firmly rooted in strengthening community governance, enhancing biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable livelihoods and building resilience to climate change,” he said.

IRDNC works with 46 communal conservancies across the Kunene Region and Zambezi Region, as well as parts of Kavango East Region. Together, these areas cover more than 58 600 km² and benefit nearly 126 000 people living alongside wildlife.

The organisation pioneered Namibia’s community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) model, which gives rural communities the right to manage wildlife and other natural resources while generating income through activities such as tourism ventures, hunting concessions and the harvesting of natural products.

Speaking at the launch, Vipuakuje Muharukua, governor of the Kunene Region, said the programme has transformed how rural communities view wildlife. “We have moved from seeing wildlife as meat or a nuisance to seeing it as part of our ecosystem and something that sustains our livelihoods,” he said.

Muharukua said the impact of conservancies is visible across Namibia’s northwest, where wildlife that once fled from humans is now commonly seen around settlements. “Today we celebrate Kunene and Zambezi because these regions have excelled not only in Africa, but globally, in conservation,” he said.

Deputy minister of international relations and trade Jennely Matundu said Namibia’s conservation model demonstrates that economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand.

“Namibia has demonstrated that conservation and development are not opposing goals, but mutually reinforcing priorities,” she said.

Matundu noted that Namibia now has more than 87 registered communal conservancies and 43 community forests, which together cover a significant portion of the country’s landscape and create opportunities for employment, tourism and rural development.

Among the initiatives highlighted in the new strategy is the Kunene People’s Park, a proposed community-driven conservation landscape linking key ecosystems including Etosha National Park and Skeleton Coast National Park, aimed at strengthening wildlife corridors while ensuring conservation revenues continue to benefit local communities.