Select Page

Environmental Investment Fund hands over more grants across the country

Environmental Investment Fund hands over more grants across the country

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia has financed 31 grants projected to gazetted Community Forests and Communal Conservancies in 12 of the 14 regions.

This was done through the Green Climate Fund of Namibia Empower to Adapt: Creating Climate Change Resilient Livelihoods through Community Based Natural Resources Management in Namibia (CBNRM EDA).

Manager: Corporate Communications at EIF, Lot Ndamanomhata said the funded projects have to date contributed towards empowering rural CBNRM communities in Namibia by increasing their resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change such as protracted drought, increased flood events, reduced crop production and livestock losses.

“The interventions implemented by the projects are directly contributing towards the realization of Namibia’s obligations to national and international climate change goals, objectives and frameworks,” he explained.

Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi said the impact achieved to date on initiates such as these, which are geared towards adaptation to climate change shocks and stresses within the communal areas of Namibia are commendable. “This incorporation of nature-based enterprises concepts for projects with income generation objective, mainly fodder, horticulture and renewable energy gives me assurance on the sustainability of these interventions for diversified livelihood options,” he said.

He further shared his delight about Namibia as a developing country making effort towards building resilience to climate change impacts, such as the ones manifested by the 16 community projects.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, was Deputy Minister, Honourable Heather Sibungo said the EDA modality is structured in such a way that guarantees that funding will be exclusively and directly channelled to the vulnerable gazetted Communal Conservancies and Community Forests, where their project’s impact is being realised.

“These projects will further contribute towards achieving the national objectives set in the National Policy on climate change and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) as per the United Nations Framework Convention and Climate Change (UNFCCC),” she added.

Chief Executive Officer of the EIF, Benedict Libanda said the project has not only made communities resilient despite climate change shocks and stresses but they have also constituted significantly towards the maintenance and improvement of ecosystem services and function and these 16 community projects will save 7,285 919.31 tones of CO2 from avoided emissions through renewable energy sources.

“Over the past five years, the EIF successfully mobilised more than N$1.6 Billion of which N$800 million is through grands and N$750 million through line credit lines. Every one dollar that has been invested through the budget provision of the Namibian attracted N$14,” he said.

He said they will continue to engage multilateral climate and environmental funds as well as other development finance institutions to mobilise more funding to enhance their portfolio nationally as their mandate dictates.

The 16 projects handed over was to the value of N$66 million and were awarded to communities located in Otjozondjupa, Omusati, Oshikoto, Kunene, Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi, Erongo and //Karas regions.

The community projects have benefited a total of 50,000 beneficiaries, provided more than 3 000 green jobs, and an area of more than 5.5 million Hectares of ecosystems have strengthened, restored and are protected from climate variability and change.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.