Community conservation leads

Namibia's community conservation is continuing to expand, increasing the number of people who benefit from natural resources, as well as the areas under conservation. More than 200 000 people are now living in community conservation areas while the contribution by the sector to the country's net income stood at close to N$6 billion at the end of 2016. At the end of 2016 there were 82 registered communal conservancies and 32 community forests in Namibia as well as one community association in a national park, covering 165 182 square kilometres. This represents 52.9% of all communal land in Namibia and 19.66% of Namibia's total land area. According to the just-released 2016 State of Community Conservation in Namibia report, there were no registered community conservation areas and freehold conservancies at independence and a mere 12% of land was under recognised conservation management. However, since the beginning of 1990 to the end of 2016, community conservation had contributed about N$5.98 billion to Namibia's net national income.By the end of 2016, there were an estimated 195 258 people living in conservancies with another 5 752 members of the Kyaramacan Association living in Bwabwata National Park.The total cash income and in-kind benefits generated in conservancies, which includes the Kyaramacan Association, grew from less than N$1 million in 1998 to more than N$111 million in 2016. Of this amount tourism generated N$64.6 million, consumptive wildlife use (which includes hunting and live game sales) generated N$42.9 million, indigenous natural products generated N$1.6 million and miscellaneous income N$1.9 million. From consumptive wildlife use, meat to the value of N$10.4 million was distributed to conservancy residents, while residents earned a total cash income of N$52.4 million of which N$32.1 million was from joint venture tourism, N$14.7 million from conservancies, N$3.5 million from conservation hunting and N$1.9 million from SMEs.Furthermore, conservancy residents earned cash income of N$1.4 million from indigenous plants and N$1.4 million from crafts. The report adds that returns have been rising since 1998, when the first conservancies were formed. However, in the last few years, and particularly in 2016, Namibia experienced a surge in tourism. “While tourism has provided the greatest cash income to households, consumptive wildlife use, especially conservation hunting, has returned more cash directly to conservancies and provided more in-kind benefits, due to the value of game meat (calculated at N$20 per kilogramme),” it says. In summary, returns including salaries and benefits totalled N$87.5 million while capital and operating costs totalled N$12.2 million. The report, however, points out that although the N$111 million generated in 2016 is an impressive figure, much of the related cash income is required to cover conservancy costs such as game guard salaries, vehicle operation and maintenance, and office expenses. “Once these have been deducted, there is often little left to provide meaningful benefits to members. Indeed, 21 out of the 83 conservancies including the Kyaramacan Association generate no cash income at all.”According to the report, the Namibian economy is diversifying, and tourism now accounts for an estimated 14.9% of Namibia's GDP when associated value chains are taken into account.“This is reflected in Namibia's communal sector by 53 joint-venture tourism agreements between conservancies and private sector operators.” These employed 954 full-time, and 72 part-time, staff. By the end of 2016 there were 853 people employed at conservancies while 950 conservancy representatives received allowances. Furthermore 38 conservancies were directly involved in tourism activities and 55 conservancies had conservation hunting concessions with 136 full-time and 179 part-time employees. A total of 1 284 indigenous plant harvesters worked in conservancies during 2016 while 570 people produced crafts. “Considerable management responsibilities are carried out over huge and often inaccessible areas, despite the fact that most conservancies are under-staffed and underfinanced, and many do not have a vehicle,” the report says. Only five conservancies are less than 100 square kilometres in size. Nine of the 82 registered conservancies are between 5 000 and 9 000 square kilometres in size, which is between 65 and 120 times the size of an average commercial farm in Namibia.The report adds that conservancies manage both tourism and hunting enterprises, and also harvest game to sell and to distribute as a community benefit. They actively monitor wildlife using event books and by taking part in annual game count.“While democratic oversight and grass roots participation is vital, good management is also necessary. There has been a concerted effort to strengthen regional conservancy associations as well as management, so that responsibility for conservation is increasingly placed in the hands of the people who live in conservancies, and support organisations can focus more on technical issues.” ELLANIE SMIT

Community conservation leads

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Community conservation leads

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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