Nyae Nyae Conservancy to benefit from Environmental Fund’s N$1.9 million grant
The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) has made more than N$1,9 million available to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy to help manage fire and water within its territory.
The grant will go a long way in protecting and safeguarding the livelihoods of the residents of this Conservancy in the Otjozondjupa region. This grant and the projects which it will facilitate are part of a bigger scheme to create climate resilient livelihoods through Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBRM) in Namibia.
Through the EIF grant that the Nyae Nyae Conservancy has been awarded, climate change adaptation measures will be supported amongst its San community.
The EIF is empowering the Nyae Nyae community to actively manage their environment in terms of fire and water with this grant. Nyae Nyae has proven the effectiveness of their fire management approach and has dramatically improved food security in recent years.
“This grant will help them further develop these endeavours. This San community is actively adapting to the climate changes they are experiencing. Demonstrating and realising that the time is now for them to act and save their environment and taking responsibility for their future,” the conservancy stated.
Since 2014, as a registered Community Forest, the Nyae Nyae community started to manage pro-actively certain fire techniques that they had traditionally used. This involved burning around villages and precious resources in the winter months when the threat of uncontrolled fires was reduced and close monitoring of fires by satellite. With the EIF grant these activities can now continue.
Conservancy Chairperson, Xoan/’an /Ai!ae, said “We are very grateful for the EIF grant and it means a great deal for our conservancy and our people. It also symbolises Harambee as it shows that if we as a nation pull together and pool our resources, we assist all Namibians.”
At the award ceremony at the Windhoek Country Club, the President, HE Dr Hage Geingob, gave an inspiring speech highlighting the need to focus on poverty eradication especially amongst Namibia’s marginalised rural communities.
Caption: Leon Tsamkao (Management Committee Member) and Xoan/‘an /Ai!ae (chairperson).
