Environment Ministry launches project to improve environmental governance
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, this week launched a new project aimed at alleviating poverty in rural areas, improve environmental governance and sustainable management of natural resources.
The Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach for Enhancing Livelihoods and Environmental Governance project directly supports five landscape sites, in five regions namely Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango West, Zambezi and Kunene.
At these sites, the project will seek to achieve a significant reduction in deforestation rates, while enhancing agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of natural resources and the income of small-scale food producers living in these landscapes.
The Project will enhance access to financial and technical assistance for communities from across the country so that they are able to scale up the integrated landscape management approach and sustainable nature-based enterprises.
The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility to tune of US$10.82 million or approximately N$161 million at the current exchange rate. The majority of the funding for this project will be allocated to initiatives and interventions such as support to the restoration of degraded land, support to agroforestry and sustainable crop and rangeland management as well as nature-based enterprise development.
This equally include through tourism and value addition and processing of natural products. At least 50% of the project beneficiaries will be female. In addition to the planned interventions in the pilot landscapes, the project will enhance the country’s capacity to monitor and research trends linked to land degradation, climate change and biodiversity conservation.
“Empowerment of people cannot be achieved by government alone, therefore we would like to express our profound gratitude to our support organizations, particularly our development partners, NGOs and the private sector for the support they continue to render to our communities in many parts of the country,” environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme with support from the University of Namibia and the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia.
