Covid hampered good governance of conservancies
Pandemic impacts rural livelihoods
There are now 86 registered communal conservancies, 43 community forests and two community associations in Namibia.
Restrictions on gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for many communal conservancies and community forests to meet their governance standards over the past two years.
“Annual general meetings, in particular, were not held in conservancies where the quorum exceeded the maximum number of people allowed to gather under the prevailing restrictions,” tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said.
He was speaking at the official opening of the Conservancies and Community Forests Chairperson Forum for 2022 that was held in Ondangwa.
There are now 86 registered communal conservancies, 43 community forests and two community associations in Namibia.
According to Shifeta, the pandemic heavily impacted rural livelihoods and they estimated that over 3 000 jobs were at risk in the communal conservancy and community forest sector.
The ministry and its partners therefore responded by establishing the Conservation Relief, Recovery and Resilience Facility (CRRRF) to invite partners from all sectors within Namibia and internationally to assist.
“Further, our established support structures allowed for the rapid, yet properly controlled, disbursal of these funds to communal conservancies, community forests and the private sector in both tourism and hunting to receive much-needed support.”
Provide relief
The minister said the aim of the facility is to provide relief to enable communal conservancies and community forests to pay salaries for game guards, forest monitors and staff to continue with wildlife monitoring activities such as patrols and anti-poaching and to respond to human-wildlife conflict.
The facility further provided additional relief and recovery measures for community-based natural resource management entities that are associated with tourism and nature-based enterprises.
According to Shifeta, it is the desire of the ministry to see all communal conservancies and community forests financially sustainable.
“The ministry is aware that communal conservancies and community forests rely on hunting, tourism and other natural resources for their income, which is severely affected by Covid-19; however, I urge that the members receive benefits.”
Human-wildlife conflict
He added that human-wildlife conflict management interventions remain high on the agenda and programme of the ministry.
“We will continue to put mitigation and preventative measures for human-wildlife conflict in place in all affected areas of our country.
“We will continue to manage human-wildlife conflict in a way that recognises the rights and development needs of local communities, recognises the need to promote biodiversity conservation, promote self-reliance and ensures that decision-making is quick, efficient and based on the best available information,” he said.
“Annual general meetings, in particular, were not held in conservancies where the quorum exceeded the maximum number of people allowed to gather under the prevailing restrictions,” tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said.
He was speaking at the official opening of the Conservancies and Community Forests Chairperson Forum for 2022 that was held in Ondangwa.
There are now 86 registered communal conservancies, 43 community forests and two community associations in Namibia.
According to Shifeta, the pandemic heavily impacted rural livelihoods and they estimated that over 3 000 jobs were at risk in the communal conservancy and community forest sector.
The ministry and its partners therefore responded by establishing the Conservation Relief, Recovery and Resilience Facility (CRRRF) to invite partners from all sectors within Namibia and internationally to assist.
“Further, our established support structures allowed for the rapid, yet properly controlled, disbursal of these funds to communal conservancies, community forests and the private sector in both tourism and hunting to receive much-needed support.”
Provide relief
The minister said the aim of the facility is to provide relief to enable communal conservancies and community forests to pay salaries for game guards, forest monitors and staff to continue with wildlife monitoring activities such as patrols and anti-poaching and to respond to human-wildlife conflict.
The facility further provided additional relief and recovery measures for community-based natural resource management entities that are associated with tourism and nature-based enterprises.
According to Shifeta, it is the desire of the ministry to see all communal conservancies and community forests financially sustainable.
“The ministry is aware that communal conservancies and community forests rely on hunting, tourism and other natural resources for their income, which is severely affected by Covid-19; however, I urge that the members receive benefits.”
Human-wildlife conflict
He added that human-wildlife conflict management interventions remain high on the agenda and programme of the ministry.
“We will continue to put mitigation and preventative measures for human-wildlife conflict in place in all affected areas of our country.
“We will continue to manage human-wildlife conflict in a way that recognises the rights and development needs of local communities, recognises the need to promote biodiversity conservation, promote self-reliance and ensures that decision-making is quick, efficient and based on the best available information,” he said.
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