Social Ecosystems
Community Based Natural Resource Management
World Wildlife Fund Joint Venture (WWF JV)
Funding: Funding for this grant is provided by WWF Netherlands through the WWF Namibia office
Partners: WWF, NACSO
Starting date: 2015
Title: Support to the establishment and maintenance of sustainable financing schemes for communal conservancies in southern Kunene and Erongo regions, Namibia
Contact person: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Location: Field based, southern Kunene and Erongo regions. Coordinated from regional NNF office in Walvis Bay, Erongo
Project Background
Tourism ventures contribute to livelihoods in the region where they operate in multiple ways, including direct contractual cash payments to conservancies, salaries for employees, staff training, and related benefits such as payments of cash and in-kind contributions (equipment, donated services, etc.) to village development committees, local schools, etc.
On the other hand, many species (elephant, lion, leopard and hyena) create major problems for local residents, by killing livestock, damaging infrastructure and attacking people. While there is generally a net benefit in terms of the overall benefits generated by these species, individual farmers and community members bear a disproportionate share of the costs associated with HWC. Further, the benefits that are generated are not clearly linked to the presence of those species causing the problems.
It is obvious that whilst CBNRM has been generating significant and extremely impressive benefits through tourism and other activities, the average community member simply is not seeing the connection between the presence of these problem causing species and a successful tourism operation. It is critical that species focused payment mechanisms be established so that these, often rare and endangered species can begin to acquire a tangible tourism value.
This project builds on support that NNF has provided to conservancies in Kunene south and Erongo through helping to identify and establish such payment schemes. The payment schemes and associated actions are:
- Focused on creating awareness around HWC in conservancies for tourists visiting lodges
- Setting up a transparent and effective payment mechanism which will allow tourists and lodge operators to make a voluntary donation towards mitigation of damage caused by wild animals such as elephant
- ‘ring-fencing’ these funds to be used exclusively for HWC compensation or other mitigation measures such as HWC research and helping to ensure that the mitigation measures are identified in a participatory manner, making sure to take the needs of local farmers into account
- Sourcing match funding for donations so that the amount for compensation is doubled or more by the time it reaches affected farmers
This is an on-going project and is linked closely with other initiatives both in the conservancies in which we work but also on a national level.
GIZ-CBNRM Project
Funding: Deutsche Gesellschaftfur Internationale Zusammerbeit (GIZ)
Partners: WWF, NACSO
Starting date: 2017
Title: GIZ - Community-based Natural Resource Management Conservancy Support
Contact person: Aina Andreas (Kavango) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (southern Kunene, Erongo)
Location: Field based, Kavango East, Kavango West, southern Kunene and Erongo regions
Project background
The main objective of this project is to strengthen NNF support activities to CBNRM. Specifically the project focuses on consolidating the support to conservancies in the areas where NNF is already active by supporting the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), the conservancies and the community forests to be compliant for CBNRM, to ensure a process of value chain development, which will allow an income increase for communities as well as strengthening their resilience to the effects of climate change through climate change adaptation.
Within three components, the project centralizes on support for finance management, backstopping support, exchange meetings, logistics and office support, as well as providing crosscutting technical support. The components are:
-Support to existing and emerging conservancies in Kavango East and West regions
-Support to conservancies in southern Kunene and Erongo regions
-Resolving human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) in Kunene south and Erongo regions
Project outcomes:
The main outcomes of the activities under the components is to create an enabling environment for new developments in conservancies to increase the resilience and for improving the livelihood of conservancy members in Kavango East, West, southern Kunene and Erongo.
In summary the project aims to achieve the following:
-Conservancies can increasingly comply with the Namibian legislation related to CBNRM
-Conservancies are relevantly equipped and trained to sustainably and efficiently manage their finances
-Conservancies are relevantly equipped and trained to sustainably manage their natural resources
-The livelihoods of conservancy members has improved through consolidated or newly established opportunities
-The resilience to negative effects like HWC, climate change or wildlife crime has increased
-Conservancies are able to develop and implement appropriate HWC prevention measures
-Conservancies are able to develop and submit adequate reports to their members and the ministry, and therefore increasingly comply with the legislation and good governance requirements and;
-Conservancies are able to access funds for rural development and climate change adaptation.
NACSO CLP
Funding: WWF, Hamer Foundation
Partners: WWF Namibia, NACSO
Starting date: 2018
Title: CBNRM Conservation Leadership (CLP) Programme
Contact person: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Location: Field based, Kavango East, Kavango West, southern Kunene and Erongo regions
The CBNRM Leadership Programme (CLP) was introduced in January 2012 with the goal to develop a cadre of people with the capacity to become future CBNRM leaders. The CLP and the interns require constant management, support and coordination which have been managed by the NACSO Secretariat (Maxi Louis) in the past. Early 2018, it was decided by the Secretariat and the Board to move these responsibilities to the NNF and to identify and appoint an individual to coordinate the programme.
Overall objective: The CBNRM Leadership Programme (CLP) was introduced in 2012, and early 2018 the responsobilities where moved to the NNF. The programme provides a mix of training and development activities for four young graduates from higher learning institutions, who undergo a two-year internship with NACSO. It is a blended learning approach matched to the specific needs of the candidates. The different components create a holistic methodology that covers professional/technical and personal development needs that are appropriate for growing the future leaders of CBNRM.
Main Activities:
- Tailored workshops will be offered by members of the cadre and other higher potential candidates working in NACSO partner organisations.
- Capitalise on the frequent invitations for CBNRM personnel to participate in workshops, short courses and conferences in Namibia and/or the SADC Region. If funding is available interns can also attend workshops and training on an international level.
- During the introduction phase each intern is assigned to a mentor who they meet weekly and later monthly. In the second year there could be a rotation of mentors.
- The mentor will be required to assign suitable projects/assignments across the NACSO partner organisations that addresses development needs. The tasks will be allocated by the programme coordinator.
- Interns will rotate and thus be exposed to key functions within CBNRM. This is not restricted to NACSO and can include partner organisations, MET or private enterprises.
- Creation of a CLP Alumni Body with an annual get-together.
Completed Projects
Omaheke Conservancies
Funding: European Union through the Civil Society Foundation of Namibia
Dates: May 2014 to April 2015
The project was developed in association with three conservancies Eiseb, Otjombinde and Omuramba Ua Mbinda who have received very limited support for the development of their communities. The overall objective is to support rural development in the conservancies by providing critical institutional and governance training, mentoring and technical support in Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM).
Specifically the project aims to build the knowledge, capacity and awareness of the communal conservancy members in the areas of governance and organisational management, and to carry out a Sustainable Natural Resource Enterprise Assessment to identify and recommend appropriate income and employment generating opportunities for the conservancy and its members.
The highly successful CBNRM programme has shown that the long-term ability of conservancies to function sustainably is largely dependent upon their ability to effectively govern and manage their organisational responsibilities in a transparent and accountable manner. To complement this training and technical assistance NNF, in collaboration with experts and the community, will identify the most appropriate natural resource based sustainable development opportunities for that specific community. This will cover areas such as Wildlife, Indigenous Natural Projects, Conservation Agriculture, Rangeland Management etc. and take into account environmental sustainability and gender and vulnerable population empowerment.
Thatch Grass Value Chain
Funding: GIZ in (June – December 2016)
The Namibia Nature Foundation was contracted to assess the existing thatch grass value chain and how communities may increase benefits that are generated from it in the areas of Muduva Nyangana, George Mukoya Conservancy and Community Forest, and Katope Community Forest. Local people in the Kavango regions have generally few livelihood options and little access to transport, services and formal employment. It is estimated that the Kavango regions have the potential to produce over 1 million bundles of 60cm circumference thatch grass annually. However little of this potential is realized for the benefit of local people: The cutters in the communities often barter for products (i.e. groceries, school supplies etc.) at a very cheap “exchange rate”, instead of getting cash. The value they sold the grass for was approximately N$5 for a 60 cm bundle in 2014. The primary traders then provide treatment to the grass before selling it to secondary traders - mainly the construction industry – for N$20 for a 60cm bundle. Secondary traders, who ultimately provide the product to the end user, receive anywhere from N$64 to N$140 for a 60cm bundle.
With thatch grass, most value is added by transporting the goods to market and by using labor to process it into the final product which can add another 50-350% value. The 2014 price of N$5 for a 60 cm bundle eventually caused community members to stop selling grass to primary traders. Local people did not believe that the price reflected fair compensation for their work. This, together with some other factors including Foot-and Mouth disease (limiting the trade) have caused the thatch grass market to break down. As a result, many end users shifted to substitute products like canvas roofs or South African grass.
The end users tend to be individuals who use thatch grass roofing material, often in upmarket lodges or private houses within Namibia but also abroad. In 2014, the main destination of thatch grass was to Angola (60%), however by 2016 this had declined to 5%, likely due to the country’s economic decline. In the same period the amount of thatch grass going to North-Central Namibia increased from 15% to 50%, which is believed to be attributed to the region being under development. In order to develop a value chain for thatch grass moving forward, it is recommended that the mandate over thatch grass be clarified and that a well-structured value chain with clear value-addition with as little middlemen as possible be established. It is also recommended that there are controls to ensure quality and sustainable harvesting and to tender a concession for thatch grass to a professional firm.
Education and Lifestyle
Completed Projects
Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET)
Project: Co-sponsorship of Schools for Environmental Education at NaDEET Centre
Start and end date: January 2015 - December 2017
Contact person: Viktoria Keding This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Nedbank Go Green Fund supported the NaDEET Centre since its inception in 2002. This lasting relationship has been significant in the success of NaDEET for the past years to reach its goals and provide ongoing excellent service delivery of environmental education.
The project supported environmental education at NaDEET Centre for school's
The projects objectives were:
- To financially support learners and schools that have made NaDEET Centre a part of their annual school calendar.
- To support conservation through environmental education for schools
- To protect the natural environment through improved access to environmental education and thereby increased knowledge, understanding, awareness of environmental problems and solutions.
Visit the NaDEET website here
Wildlife Crime
USAID - WCS
Funding: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the WWF Namibia
Partners: WWF, NACSO, IRDNC, SRT, MET
Starting date: 2017
Title: Combating of wildlife crime in Erongo and Southern Kunene regions of Namibia
Contact person: info@nnf,org.na
Location: Field based, southern Kunene and Erongo regions.
Project Background
Rhino poaching in the South Kunene and Erongo regions of Namibia, home to the only truly wild Black Rhino population outside of protected areas in the world, has increased over the years.
This project provides support to community game guards working in communal conservancies in terms of anti-poaching and wildlife crime mitigation efforts. This support is closely coordinated with on-going anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts as well as new support mechanisms that have commenced in 2017/18. In this respect, project staff play a facilitating and coordinating role between target communities, the natural resource working group (NRWG), other NGOs and MET working in the target area. Additionally, the project advances iconic species conservation with a focus on rhino conservation and monitoring. Through the development of diversified tourism activities around rhino tracking, payment schemes for elephant sightings, and exploration of associated payments for ecosystems services in this unique landscape.
At community level, the promotion of active reporting of suspicious activities and development and pursuit of the appreciative inquiry concept with conservancies will raise awareness of wildlife and ecosystem values. This process will ultimately enhance community pride and resilience.
Project outcomes will be in line with the Namibian Government’s newly developed ‘National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Crime’. The NNF will pilot an open innovation approach, and the experience of dealing with poaching against a background of high inequality and rising deprivation will be widely documented and made available to organisations in other countries through various CBNRM fora.
INL PROJECTS
Funding: USAID, INL and WWF
Partners: SRT
Starting date: 2017 - 2019
Title: Strengthening the Wildlife Crime Task Team & Support to the Namibian Government in Addressing Wildlife Crime
Contact person: info@nnf,org.na
Location: Field based, southern Kunene and Erongo regions.
Project Background
A Save the Rhino Trust Project that aims to strengthen anti-poaching activities in the north-west of Namibia. This second INL project focuses on the full establishment of a Wildlife Crime Task Team and supporting MET in bringing together civil society partners to combat wildlife crime.
The main objective of phase 2 (INL-CWTN-2) is to strengthen Namibia’s domestic criminal justice institutions to complete successful enforcement, investigative and prosecution functions of wildlife crimes. The project strategically supports wildlife crime response strategies that were developed by the Namibian government over the past years leading to the draft National Strategy on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement and the Namibia Parks and Wildlife Bill. It is designed to geographically expand INL efforts to the Zambezi Region, fill critical gaps identified by the government and include the Customs Department (MoF).
Overall objective: To reduce poaching and trafficking of protected animals and their body parts originating from Namibia, this is through strengthening Namibia’s domestic criminal justice institutions as well as establishing a framework of common approaches to the protection and conservation of wildlife, by effectively enforcing laws governing natural resources.
Funding: USDOS, INL and WWF
Partners: SRT
Starting date: 2018 - 2020
Title: Combatting Wildlife Trafficking in Namibia (CWCN)
Contact person: info@nnf,org.na
Location: Field based, southern Kunene and Erongo regions.
Project Background
Overall objective: Strengthen Namibia’s domestic criminal justice entities to combat illegal wildlife trafficking by building investigative and enforcement capacity, strengthening legislative frameworks, as well as providing judicial and prosecutorial assistance, and/or developing capacity for cross-border enforcement cooperation.
NNF Project Management support to the Wildlife Crime Secretariat.
The project aims to reduce poaching and trafficking of elephant and rhinoceroses, their body parts, as well as other species targeted by criminal networks originating from Namibia, so that these species continue to increase in numbers and range.
Results envisaged and Main Activities:
- Support MET in four operational areas (Etosha NP, north-west communal areas, central and custodian, Kavango/Zambezi) to implement on-the-ground anti-poaching interventions to detect and reduce poaching activity.
- Main Activities: Maintain and improve the operational radio system in ENP.
- Support fixed wing costs for surveillance patrols in all three landscapes and procure binoculars, GPSs and power banks for reaction operations.
- Provide patrolling equipment and camping supplies for Rangers in the Zambezi/Kavango region, as well as ration packs for patrol groups in all three sites.
- Provide supplies for operational rooms in ENP.
- Improve aerial support for MET and NAMPOL case officers using the MET helicopter (or contracted in helicopter services).
- Main Activity: Provide helicopter running costs (purchase of fuel for the MET helicopter or pay for required maintenance) and/or hire helicopters for the private sector to support urgent follow-up operations that prevent poaching or help apprehend poachers.
- NNF Project Management support to the Wildlife Crime Secretariat.
- Main Activities: Engage a part-time M&E specialist to assist the WCS coordinator to develop and implement a M&E database/tool and prepare project technical reports.
- Secure equipment and resources for MET under guidance of the WCS. Mange finances and assets, compile financial reports and assist in preparing budgets and funding applications.
- Customs: By the end of 2019, Customs should intercept 50% of all rhino horns and elephant tusks from poached animals.
- Main activities: Develop and implement a Training and Customs Strategy. Support Customs to retain and train sniffer dogs and provide logistics.
- Rhino Custodians:
- Main Activities: Provide partial support to rhino ear-notching and dehorning operations on rhino custodian properties. Supply custodians with additional camera traps that provide information on the date and GPS locality data. Support MET to develop and operationalise an annual auditing processing system for these photographs and contact a database expert to improve and consolidate the rhino custodian database for freehold properties.
- Launch a pilot scheme to incentivise and reward rhino custodians on both freehold and communal conservancies.
- Support the WCSTT:
- Main Activities: Support the Wildlife Crime Programme Task Team through the coordination of efforts. Establish a National Wildlife Crime Monitoring and Evaluation System to track the effectiveness of anti-poaching or other LE efforts. Share lessons learned in an Anti-poaching Workshop (Waterberg)
Completed Projects
NAMIBIA RHINO
Rhino conservation activities in Namibia
Funding: WWF, Protect African Rhinos
Parnter: MET
Dates: 01/04/2017 - 30/09/2018
Summary
The project aimed at supporting the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in securing and managing funds, targeted towards rhino conservation.
Namibia has experienced a sharp increase in rhino poaching since 2014, and due to this increase in rhino poaching, MET embarked on a dehorning campaign since August 2014, whereby all major rhino populations are being dehorned biannually.
In conjunction with dehorning, all rhinos were notched, microchipped and DNA profiled. In addition, there was also an urgent need to translocate rhino between populations, out of high risk areas and focused on establishing new populations.
Project activities included:
- Rhino dehorning
- Rhino translocations
- Rhino block count
Urban Issues
SAREP
Funding: USAID
Parnter: Chemonics International
Dates: 2010-2015
Since June 2010 Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) has supported the Southern African Regional Environmental Programme (SAREP) project in the Kavango Region on behalf of the USAID donor contracted consultants, Chemonics – a US-based company.
SAREP's regional objectives are to build capacity for water governance, support basin-level plans and priorities and integrate transboundary infrastructure and land use planning. The project’s programmatic objectives are to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, increase access to water supply and sanitation, address global climate change and integrate HIV / AIDS prevention and treatment. The SAREP team works with the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) and regional counterparts such as NNF, to improve trans-boundary natural resource management in the Okavango River Basin. Its technical approach derives from critical and creative thinking about the political economy of the Southern Africa water and natural resources sector; it leverages best practices in community-based natural resource management and capacity building for the supply of safe water and sanitation; and anticipates the increasing need for effective responses to climate-related disasters and water-centred conflicts.
SAREP’s activities are planned to support transformation and strengthen capacity – especially for institutions entrusted with the regional management of important and precious natural resources; communities in Okavango River Basin states, and for the Okavango ecosystems that depend on wise stewardship for survival. NNF implemented the 4th phase of the Plan Land plus Use System which includes a complete local level plan and water and sanitation activity programmes in the selected communities in the Kavango Region in Namibia - Mupapama-East, Mayana (Rural Rundu) and Mahahe (Mashare cluster), Guma/Kangweru and Shitemo (Ndiyona cluster), Tuguva, Mupapama-West and Tare (Kahenge/Mpungu cluster), and Kasivi and Manyondo (Kapako cluster).
Natural Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Terrestrial Species Research
Kwando Carnivore
Funding: Panthera, National Geographic Big Cat Initiative, WWF in Namibia, WWF Germany and private donors.
Partners: MET, IRDNC, NNF, WWF Namibia, Panthera, TOSCO, National Geographic Big Cat Initiative, Predator Conservation Trust
Starting date: 2008
Contact person: Lise Hanssen (Project Coordinator)
The Kwando Carnivore Project is based in the Zambezi Region and works on applied research and conservation of large carnivores in the Zambezi and Kavango Regions. Field work takes place in the protected areas as well as the conservancies of the Mudumu Complexes. The Mudumu Complex is a mosaic landscape and an important area of connectivity for wildlife between parks in neighbouring countries. As this landscape is shared by people and wildlife, a large part of our efforts focus on human carnivore conflict mitigation. We work closely with MET, NGO’s, conservancies and other partners to achieve our goals.
Our field work includes regular spoor and camera trap surveys in order to monitor the large carnivore populations of the Zambezi and Kavango Regions. We sometimes deploy GPS/Satellite collars if we have certain questions that will further our conservation goal. Currently we are studying how young male lions disperse through the human dominated landscape in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Panthera and WWF in Namibia.
Conflict efforts include building lion-proof kraals to protect cattle from lions that move outside of park boundaries. We also use mobile kraals to protect cattle that are left outside to graze on harvested fields at night. We hope to soon collaborate on holistic rangeland work that is taking place in pilot sites in the Mudumu South Complex.
The Kwando Carnivore Project started out by studying the population ecology of spotted hyaenas in the Zambezi Region. Currently we research and monitor all the large carnivores species in the region as well as collaborate across international borders in the greater KAZA TFCA landscape.
Mountain Zebra Project
Funding: Rufford Foundation, Parc Zoologique de Montpellier, Gaia Nature Fund.
Partners: Namibia Nature Foundation, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Gondwana Canyon Park, Ai-Ais/Fish River National Park, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Büllsport Guest Farm, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Gondwana Namib Park, Solitaire Land Trust, Hobatere Tourist Concession and Etosha National Park, University of Newcastle.
Starting date: 2005
Contact person: Professor Morris Gosling.
The Mountain Zebra Project is co-ordinated by Professor Morris Gosling of the University of Newcastle, UK, in partnership with landowners and conservationists who share the aims of mountain zebra conservation, of scientifically based management and of affection for this tough and charismatic species. The Project started in 2005 in Gondwana Canyon Park and the neighbouring /Ai-/Ais National Park and, in order to provide comparative information in areas of different rainfall, has subsequently expanded to NamibRand Nature Reserve, the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the Gondwana Namib Park, Büllsport Guest Farm, the Solitaire Land Trust, the Hobatere Tourist Concession area and Etosha National Park.
Hartmann’s mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) is Namibia’s only large mammal endemic (except for small numbers in southern Angola and northern RSA) and is a Specially Protected Species in Namibia. It is a subspecies of mountain zebra and together with the Cape mountain zebra (E.z.zebra) in South Africa is of global conservation importance (IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable). While Hartmann’s populations in Namibia are healthier and more widespread than Cape mountain zebra, they are vulnerable to severe droughts, particularly where fences prevent movement to scarce grazing.
The aim of the Mountain Zebra Project is to promote the study of mountain zebras for scientifically based population management and as a flagship species for wider ecosystem conservation in Namibia. Like many large mammals in human-dominated landscapes, mountain zebras have a complex relationship with people. They are a threatened sub-species and in places suffer from unsustainable exploitation, but they can also become locally abundant and cause overgrazing, particularly in the arid, fragile habitats that are typical of most of their range in Namibia and where their natural predators have been reduced or eliminated. In addition to their significance as an iconic member of Africa’s equids and deserving of conservation in their own right, they are also an economic resource of great value when properly managed. They represent a subtle variation on the equid theme and their biology, including the population processes that underpin variation in abundance contains many unsolved problems.
Zebra stripe patterns, like human fingerprints, are individually distinct and once photographed in a standardised way, animals can be followed throughout life. This allows an individual- based approach, a suite of techniques now widely used in behavioural and population biology, and provides the basis for quantifying such key processes as age-dependent survivorship which is needed to understand and model population dynamics. Mountain zebra are water-dependent and camera traps set at waterholes are being used to monitor entire populations and their movements, even those in inaccessible mountainous areas such as the Naukluft extension of the Namib-Naukluft NP, a mountainous area that was designated for mountain zebra conservation. Mountain zebra are also monitored in Etosha National Park with the help of ‘citizen scientists’. Visitors to the Park submit their photographs of mountain zebra and individual zebra are identified and used to track life-histories and for mark-recapture estimates of the population.
Progress Reports:
Mountain Zebra Project Progress Report 2016
Mountain Zebra Project Progress Report 2018
Further information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/EtoshaHMZ.
Above: Bachelor group of Hartmann’s mountain zebra in Etosha National Park
Vultures Namibia
Funding: Donations from Namibian businesses and individuals, fund-raising dinners in Windhoek and Swakopmund.
Contact persons: Peter Bridgeford This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Holger Kolberg This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Mark Boorman This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Introduction to the Vultures Namibia projects
In Namibia, five species are found and one is extinct.
| White-backed Vultures | Hooded Vultures |
| Lappet-faced Vultures | Cape Vulture |
| White-headed Vultures | Egyptian Vulture (extinct as a breeding species) |
Human activities have had a severe impact on vultures all over the world through:
- Habitat destruction and degradation.
- Poisoning
- Electrocution
- Drowning in farm reservoirs.
- Disturbance at colonies.
- Direct persecution by means of shooting and gin trapping.
- Illegal collection of birds, bird parts and eggs for traditional medicine and trade.
Vultures are primarily scavengers. They not only prevent the spread of disease from dead animals but also provide the farming community with a service by disposing of livestock carcasses. The alternative is to burn or bury the carcass, both time-consuming and expensive. Vultures in the sky draw the farmer's attention to dead animals on his farm, often domestic stock, an important factor on the huge properties in Namibia. It is thus important to ensure that existing vulture populations are able to continue to survive, despite the pressure of human activities.
Aims and Objectives of the Project
Promote vulture conservation amongst the farming and rural communities of Namibia.
- Assess the population status of Namibian vultures through monitoring of breeding populations.
- Resolve any human/vulture conflicts on an ongoing basis.
- Maintain the awareness and education campaign amongst the public in Namibia.
Details of the projects
Namib-Naukluft Park
Vulture populations cannot be censused in the way of plain's game or other large animals. However, by censusing breeding birds and comparing the annual breeding rate in an area, the health of a population can be determined without counting the total population. This project in the Namib-Naukluft Park started in 1991. Vultures Namibia has been doing annual aerial surveys to find the nests of breeding Lappet-faced Vultures since 2001.
On commercial farms
The project on commercial farms involves the farmer, his family and workers and brings the plight of vultures to the notice of these people. This project has been very successful because it involves the people living on the land and is a ‘hands-on’ project.
Vultures Namibia is a non-profit organization, staffed by volunteers. All funds are used for ringing and monitoring the endangered and threatened vultures and not for salaries or gratuities. All funds are channelled through the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and their accounts are audited annually.
Funds can be deposited directly in the Vultures Namibia account at the NNF:
NNF Sundry Trust
Nedbank Namibia
Main branch 461-617
Account: 11 00 00 49 86 9
Reference: Vultures Namibia
Crane and Raptor Working Groups
Overview
Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) supports two working groups who focus on the conservation of Namibia's birdlife and their habitats.
Namibia Crane Working Group
This working group was formed in May 2004 as a result of a concern for the continued survival of Namibia's crane species and their habitats. The group has drawn up a Namibia Crane Action Plan and is working to put this plan into action to conserve cranes and their habitats in partnership with the people who share these habitats.
Activities include effective communication, supported by regular newsletters, crane counts, local crane awareness surveys, guide training, and planning of a crane/wetland-based tourist route in the north. Sightings of cranes (including any ring combinations) are welcome: please see the link to the flyer below for details. Note that newsletters No. 1-52 are available on request from email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Flyers:
Report Your Blue Crane Ring Resightings
Newsletters and Articles:
Namibia Crane News No53, April 2015
Namibia Crane News No54, Nov 2015
Namibia Crane News No55, May 2016
Namibia Crane News No56, Dec 2017
Namibia Crane News No57, Sep 2018
"Etosha's Exclusive Blue Cranes" published in the Travel News Namibia Autumn 2018 pg. 73
Raptors Namibia Working Group
Namibia's vultures, other diurnal raptors and owls are increasingly under threat from factors such as disturbance, particularly at breeding sites; the misuse of poisons and pesticides; electrocution and collisions with overhead lines; habitat degradation; persecution; illegal harvesting; and drowning in reservoirs. The Raptors Namibia working group was established in 2005. The group focus on six key priority areas :
- Promote co-ordination and communication with key stakeholders
- Obtain information/data
- Promote awareness and education
- Manage raptor populations and habitats by addressing threats
- Build capacity
- Define protocols and policy and promote the enforcement of legislation
Namibia Botanical Research Institute (NBRI)
Financial Management:
The NNF ensures that the financial contributions are used exclusively for measures within the scope of the projects, as stipulated in the project agreements between the donors and NBRI.
The NNF manages the funds of the following NBRI Projects:
Gene Bank Fund
Millenium Seed Bank Project and
National Herbarium
Large Carnivore Management Association of Namibia (LCMAN)
Funding: LCMAN depends on membership fees to sustain its operations.
Full members: Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA), Leibniz Institute for Wildlife Research (IZW), NamibRand Nature Reserve Naankuse Foundation, Erindi Game Reserve, Africat Foundation and Ongava Research Center
Associate members: Kwando Carnivore Project, Brown Hyena Research Project, CANAM/Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Kiripotib, LRC Wildlife Conservation, Mr. Quintin Hartung
Student member: Mr. Chavoux Luyt
Starting date: 2001
Contact person: Dr Laurie Marker of CCF is the current Chairperson. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Project summary
Namibia supports a diverse assemblage of free ranging large carnivore including lions, leopards, cheetah, spotted hyena, brown hyena, painted dogs and caracal. The Large Carnivore Management Association of Namibia (LCMAN) comprises a group of organisations that have come together to form a not-for-profit Association to promote and support the long-term conservation of healthy populations of large carnivores in Namibia. Namibia Nature Foundation’s role as a project partner is to manage LCMAN’s funds and provide support in the form of technical input, administration and co-ordination.
LCMAN’s Vision is to promote and support the long-term conservation and sustainable utilization of healthy populations of large carnivores.
The Purpose of the Association is to foster and enhance collaboration and cooperation by the members, and where relevant, to align and harmonise their planning, methodologies, approaches, implementation, information and advocacy to effectively implement its Vision and Objectives.
The main Objectives are:
- To promote an understanding of large carnivores, their biology, ecology, roles and values in ecosystems, interactions with people (and their production systems), and conservation requirements
- To serve as a national body of expertise and as a point of reference for all matters concerning large carnivores, including legal, policy, management, research and related issues
- To advocate for and on behalf of large carnivore conservation, to ensure that sound research-based information and management is applied, as well as ethical practices in all aspects of large carnivore management, conservation, research, reintroductions, housing, utilization and related issues
- To facilitate and encourage the co-ordination of large carnivore conservation, research and management in Namibia.
The Carnivores LCMAN works with:
Namibia supports a diverse assemblage of free ranging large carnivore including:
Lions
Leopards
Cheetah
Spotted Hyena
Brown Hyena
Painted Dogs
Caracal
What LCMAN can provide:
- Solutions to livestock depredation
- Resolutions for game farmers
- Advice to maintain human safety
- Information about carnivores
Ecosystems work
TEEB
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Study
Funding: GIZ’s ResMob Project (Resource Mobilisation for Biodiversity Conservation) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment
Partners: Anchor Environmental Consultants, Cape Town, South Africa
Starting date: 2017
Contact person: Angus Middleton This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Courtney McLaren This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Alternatively, our office number: 061 248345.
Location: The NNF team works out of the NNF Windhoek office, while the Anchor team works out of their Cape Town office, with field work being completed throughout the country, having focused on the Southern Kunene and several of the country’s national parks
Summary
The NNF has partnered with Anchor Environmental Consultants out of Cape Town to produce Namibia’s first TEEB (the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity) study. This study, initiated in January 2017, assesses the economic value of Namibia’s ecosystem services, looks at incentivizing conservation on public, communal and private lands.
To determine how best to support conservation and communities in Namibia’s conservancies the TEEB team conducted preliminary scoping visits in May to the field sites. In July the team carried out
field work using behavioural economics experiments in Uibasen, Sorris Sorris and Tsiseb. The experiments looked to identify conservancy members’ willingness to contribute to communal investments in conservation and how this wiliness may be impacted by differing levels of confidence in conservancy governance. The results indicated a Payments for Ecosystem Service scheme would be viable as a means of incentivizing increased conservation on communal lands and highlighted the importance of confidence in conservancy
In mid-September the TEEB team held a farmer workshop and focus group to inform a farmer-oriented survey to identify appropriate mechanisms to support increased sustainability on private lands. The survey is currently being finalized with distribution to occur in the coming weeks with the support of various relevant organizations.
In December 2017 the TEEB team focused on the public lands work package of the study. At present Namibia charges the lowest national park entrance fees in the region. With photographic tourism a rapidly growing sector and scarce financial resources currently available for conservation in the national park system the TEEB team aims to re-evaluate the park fee system to explore the potential for increased financial resources for Namibia’s national parks. This component utilized both a desktop study conducted by Anchor and field research carried out by NNF and Anchor to inform the revision of Namibia’s national park entrance fee system. With support from NUST, several honours students joined the TEEB team to survey visitors to Namibia’s national parks to determine their wiliness to pay for national park entry. The TEEB team surveyed park visitors at Hosea Kutako International Airport, as well as at Etosha National Park, Waterberg National Park, Namib Naukluft Park and Hardap Resort. The results of the field work are currently being analysed and will be presented to MET and GIZ.
Completed Projects
Hunting for Opportunities: Promoting Business and Employment for Communal Conservancies
Funding: Funded by the Finnish Embassy in Namibia, through the Fund for Local Cooperation
Project Date: September 2014 - December 2016
Namibia is a country blessed with incredible landscapes, wildlife and people making it an increasingly attractive tourism destination. It is also home to one of the world’s most progressive and successful conservation initiatives the Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme. This programme has, in the last 20 years seen almost half of all communal land areas and 20% of Namibia being designated as conservancies by the people themselves. The hunting tourism is particularly vulnerable to the trophy hunting market and this project developed alternative non-trophy hunting systems that directly support the management objectives of conservancies. The conservancies have three types of quota available to them, a trophy quota, a shoot and sell quota (meat) and an own use quota.
The management of the shoot and sell quota and own use quota were improved to better align them with management objectives, to become more efficient and also to raise more income and enhance the value of wildlife. The Finnish Embassy in Namibia through its Fund for Local Cooperation have provided funding to the Namibia Nature Foundation to look at ways of promoting non-trophy hunting specifically to the Finnish market, whilst at the same time promoting business opportunities. The project aimed to pilot two types of hunting which are non-trophy and target a group hunting experience;
- Professional Package: this package is run by a professional outfitter Esterux Safaris and targeted towards groups (4 persons) wanting a more professional experience and should be particularly interesting for the business market, either those wishing to explore business opportunities in Namibia or targeted corporate events particularly for those in the hunting industry (weapons, ammunition, optics & clothing companies). The package involves hunting a set quota of animals for utilization by the community and depending on the clients can involved more or less community engagement, e.g. being involved in the meat handling and distribution to households or not.
- Conservancy Package: This package is intended to be more of a self-driven safari, aimed at groups (4 persons) of hunting friends or for targeted corporate team building. The emphasis is on hunters being self sufficient in terms of transport and food and being hosted in a conservancy, where local guides will facilitate the hunting. The hunters will be directly involved in the daily planning and execution of their hunting together with their hosts and will assist with the post hunt processes, meat handling and distribution or processing. This is designed to be a very immersive and personal experience.
The target areas are Conservancies in Erongo and Kunene to date we are working with Orupembe and Sanitatis and are exploring options in Erongo. This project was carried out in consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and in close collaboration with NACSO, NAPHA and the Finnish Hunters Association and Estreux Safaris.
Links:
http://www.napha-namibia.com/home/
http://www.nacso.org.na/index.php
Man and Biosphere - Consultancy
Funding: UNESCO
Dates: August 2012 – August 2013
UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserve Feasibility Study
NNF carried out a feasibility study on the possible creation of a UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) reserve in Namibia. MAB, an international programme established in 1971 with over 500 reserves in 117 countries. MAB reserves comprise three main functions: conservation, development, and logistic support. MAB in Namibia focused on Mudumu North complex in East Caprivi which includes four conservancies (Mashi, Muyuni, Sobbe and Kwando), two protected areas (Bwabwata and Mudumu national parks), and commercial enterprises such as lodges.
The aim of the project was to quantify and qualify the potential impacts of a Biosphere Reserve in Namibia.
Main activities:
- review of other MAB reserves in Southern Africa
- collection of field data from the Caprivi region
- where appropriate, cost-benefit analysis
The MAB programme combines science, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and safeguard ecosystems, as well as providing research and logistical support to areas that are significant for biodiversity conservation. MAB status helps to raise the profile of an area, enables knowledge sharing with the MAB network and can help to leverage funding.
Succulent Karoo Ecosystem
Overview
This programme was part of a global initiative in support of conservation and sustainable development in biodiversity hotspots around the world. Namibia's hotspot is the Succulent Karoo which spans western parts of South Africa and southern Namibia.
In Namibia the programme was run by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF). Nearly US$ 1 million was allocated by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to the Namibia component of the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) in support of conservation and sustainable development activities in the Succulent Karoo. Namibia's priority area is the Sperrgebiet.
Aim of SKEP Namibia
"Biodiversity in the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem of Namibia is effectively conserved and managed by the state and civil society through an integrated programme of conservation action and co-management for the sustainable development of the region, the national economy and the livelihoods of people."
NNF's involvement with the programme began in 2004 and included programme management and implementation; coordination within Succulent Karoo Ecosystem and buffer areas; secretariat services to the steering committee; networking, facilitation and coordination with parallel projects; small grants management; financial management; monitoring and evaluation. The final NNF project as part of the SKEP programme, completed in 2012, was providing strategic support to the consolidation of the management and development of the newly proclaimed Sperrgebiet National Park and immediately adjacent areas.
Productive Land and Seascapes
- Integrated Planning
- Sustainable Forest & NTPF Management
- Sustainable wildlife management
- Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Forest & NTPF Management
Completed Projects
SF & NTPF
The Community Forests are officially gazetted areas for which communities received the rights to manage their local forests and pasture in a sustainable manner and in collaboration with the Directorate of Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. The principal idea is to enable residents of community forests to benefit from the use of their forests, non-timber forest products and pasture resources. In order ensure sustainable use, a management plan is developed that considers the needs of local people but also provides for income generating opportunities from natural resources, if the resource base allows for this.
The project “Communtiy Forestry in Namibia II” commissioned the NNF to develop an integrated management plan of Muduva Nyangana Conservancy and Community Forest Kavango region, a community forests with identical boundaries with the conservancy. The integrated forest management plan forms an important step to the full integration of all natural resources under the two packages of rights that were devolved to the communities. Based on the participatory inventory that needed to be done as a pre-condition of a forest management plan, utilisation strategies for all relevant timber and non-timber forest products were developed, The approach hereby was to benefit people from the Community Forest for their subsistence, but also includes the quotas for commercial use, where the annual utilisation quotas exceeds the local needs. Long term strategies were included to address challenges like destructive wildfires, deforestation and human–wildlife conflicts; this included a zonation plan and use regulations that go way beyond forest management, but includes livestock management as well as Conservation Agriculture.
The community of Muduva Nyangana was guided in developing their management plan themselves, and priority was given to taking people along in the process, and not to produce a book for the shelve – as a consequence, a handwritten poster was developed which included all essential elements (however still had to be used as a basis for an official and re-printable document). When the final product was presented, the local headmen reiterated: “we can’t say we don’t know what is in our forest management plan, since we were the ones who developed it”. The forest management plans of Muduva Nyangana C/CF was used a model to develop new and integrated management plans for other community Forests in Namibia.
Sustainable Agriculture
Conservation Agriculture
Project Name: Farmers Clubs with climate-smart agriculture for improved resilience and livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Kavango (Conservation Agriculture Component)
Funding: European Union (EU)
Partners: U-landshjälp från Folk til Folk i Finland rf (UFF Finland) and Development Aid from People to People (DAPP-Namibia) and Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF)
Starting date: September 2014
Target Area: Kavango West and East
Contact Person: Aina Andreas, Project Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Project Summary
The Farmers Clubs with Climate-Smart Agriculture for Improved Resilience and Livelihoods of Small-Scale Farmers in Kavango (Conservation Agriculture Component) targets one thousand (1000) farmers of farming community in the selected constituencies with 83% of the members being women. The CA EU-DAPP project aims to build resilience and facilitate climate change adaptation in Kavango region through agricultural productivity increases, improvements of water access and use, and institutional strengthening.
The project implements activities to increase agricultural productivity and improved food security and livelihoods of 1,000 small-scale farmers and their families; to improve sustainable access to water through in-field rainwater harvesting and micro-drip irrigation systems and; community and farm-level resilience improvement through institutional strengthening of small-scale farmers and raising community awareness and capacity building. The promotion of Conservation Agriculture is of much importance due to droughts experienced especially these past few years, and water harvesting techniques and food security measures amongst these communities is of much importance.
The NNF focuses on providing on job training and technical assistance to farm instructors and lead farmers; advises on land preparation with a focus on own fields – ripping and bringing out manure; advise on planting, harvesting and post-harvest assessment.
Through the CA EU-DAPP Project farmers are able to make standard beds in the garden, establish a nursery, application of manure and seed spacing. The farmers can see the difference brought by using conservation elements, and sees farmers working as an organized group
WWF Conservation Agriculture
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP (SCP)
Conservation Agriculture Component (CAC)
Funding: Morby family charitable foundation
Partner: WWF
Start date: August 2016
Contact persons: Vasco Samwaka, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Brook Johnson, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or Allison Siglinger This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Location: The project is in Zambezi region, Kongola, covering Mudum South Complex, (Sobbe, Mashi, Balyerwa, Wuparo & Dzoti conservancy).
Project details:
The overall goal of this project is to intensify agriculture by using conservation agriculture (CA) around the wildlife corridor areas in order to reduce human wildlife conflict.
The project is part of a bigger more holistic programme funded through WWF in Namibia, which involve IRDNC, Namibia Development Trust and the NNF, that will be targeted towards improving wildlife corridor management. The programme involves rangeland management, fisheries, conservancy work and also agriculture.
Specific Objective: to strengthen existing Conservation Agriculture lead farmers outreach and effectiveness to bring about adoption of CA in areas bordering the Sobbe Wildlife corridor, by facilitating increased access for newly adopting farmers to inputs, tillage/manure services, market access and nutritional services
Objective 1: To increase the number of new farmers with fields bordering the Sobbe wildlife corridor to sustainably adopt CA. The project has more than 75 farmers, 20 lead farmers and 10 service providers.
Objective 2: To increase the amount and diversity of inputs available used by adopting CA farmers. The project is in agreement with Sihani Investment to supply farmers with seed and rippers for sale. Farmers are introduced to new varieties of seeds such as beans; OPV and high breed maize seeds.
Objective 3: To increase the amount of tillage and manure services used by adopting CA farmers. The project hired ten service providers, business individuals to provide ripping and manure services to farmers.
Objective 4: To increase the diversity of agricultural sales and price received by adopting CA farmers. In order to increase farmer’s revenue, farmers are trained in improved marketing by the Peace Corps volunteer.
Objective 5: To increase the diversity of vegetable products consumed by farmers adopting CA. Farmers are trained in vegetable growing for food security, and vitamin supplement.
This corresponds to the goal: CAC will strengthen existing Conservation Agriculture lead farmers outreach and effectiveness to bring about adoption of CA in areas bordering the Sobbe Wildlife corridor by facilitating increased access for newly adopting farmers to nutritional services.
PROJECT APPROACH:
Streamlined start-up: Given the short period of time and the previous CA work done in targeted conservancies, the project is working to revitalize existing lead farmer networks. CAC provide existing lead farmers with a brief refresher training, as necessary, but NNF will not try to develop lead farmers from scratch. CAC lead farmers will build demonstration plots on their own fields, not on communal fields (which require approval of traditional authorities and tend to reduce effectiveness of demo plots, as it will always be a farmer’s second priority
Market approach: The project will take a market-driven agent approach. The project is not directly providing farmers with seed, fertilizer or tools. CAC work to build Sihani Investment CC’s distribution in the area of intervention, by promoting increased access to input supply.
Building leverage through partnerships: By creating synergies with other implementing NGOs, public sector and private sector partners, NNF can maximize project effectiveness, reduce duplication, and create leverage that can contribute to cost-share and pooled resources. NNF partner with several partners in CAC, including two private sector organizations: Sihani Investment cc, a private sector seed company to promote inputs; and micro-finance institutes (such as conservancies) to promote credit.
Integrate approach: Realizing that CA by itself will not lead to dramatically reduced levels of human wildlife conflict, CAC will foster an integrated approach. It is important that agriculture, rangeland management and conservation components all collaborate together to maximize impact in the Sobbe Corridor.
Documentary on the WWF Conservation Agriculture (CA) Project
Completed Projects
Aus Community Garden
Funding: UNDP - part of Africa Adaptation Program (AAP)
Dates: August 2012 to June 2013
Project details
The aim of this project was to develop a sustainable livelihood source for a community who are in an area that is expected to experience acute climate change impacts. These include higher temperatures and a reduction in already low rainfall while overall rainfall is projected to become more erratic.
The project started with a series of meetings with the Aus Community Conservation Trust and community members to agree on the project plan. Equipment such as wheelbarrows, rakes, spades and seeds were provided as well as bicycles so that the community can reach the site easily. A solar powered water pump was installed so that the project has a sustainable water supply. Community members involved in the project were trained in conservation agriculture methods such as drip irrigation, water conservation and mulching. A garden committee was set up to manage the project and allocate the finances.
Additionally, climate change information materials were provided to the local community and local school and lessons on climate change adaptation and agriculture were given to two classes.
The project successfully met its objectives within the timeframe.
Indigenous Natural Products - Devil's Claw
Funding: MCA/SAREP/GEF
Partner: Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich
Dates: 2010 - 2015
Project details
Devil's Claw is a traditional southern African medicine that has been used throughout Namibia for centuries, and is a highly sought-after plant. It is used for fighting fever, rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions, and conditions involving the gallbladder, stomach and kidneys.
Over the years, communities have harvested this indigenous natural product for personal use, as well as sold to other local Namibians in and around the region to earn additional income, or bartered for food. Namibia is currently the largest exporter of Devil's Claw with up to 1,000 tons being harvested, dried and sold internationally annually.
The principal positive social impact from commercial sustainably harvested Devil's Claw harvesting and trade has been the cash income and in-kind benefits earned by thousands of resource-poor and often marginalised harvesters in Namibia who typically have few if any other sources of income. Even though the income and benefits derived are relatively low, they supplement other income sources and diversify livelihoods across these subsistence farming communities. This project supports communities to derive more benefits while sustainably managing this natural resource.
Proposed Outcomes
Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) worked with five local organisations, including gazetted or emerging community conservancies and community forests in the Kavango Region: Joseph Mbambangandu, George Mukoya, Muduva Nyangana, Daniel Mpasi Sitentu and Katope, to help sustainably improve all aspects of this Indigenous Natural Product (INP), with a view to increasing income to producers and ensuring its sustainable harvesting. The project ensured that communities:
- are set up and organised into structured harvesting groups with ongoing support;
- are adequately trained in sustainable harvesting methods and resource mapping;
- have training and support in contract negotiations, pricing, cost management and managing a buying point;
- have a fair participation of women and vulnerable groups; and
- create links with regular and fair markets to sell the product.
- Sustainable Inland Fisheries
- Sustainable Marine Fisheries
- Sustainable Infrastructure
- Biodiversity Economy
- Protected Area Support
Sustainable Inland Fisheries
EU Fisheries Project
Community Conservation Fisheries in KAZA
Funding: European Union, additional funding - SASSCAL/NNF/SAREP/SAIAB.
Partners: Government Fisheries Department (Zambia), Okavango Research Institute, University of Namibia.
Date: Started in January 2013 till Jine 2018.
Contact person: Britta Hackenberg
Summary
Community-based management of river and floodplain fisheries in rivers and floodplains in the Upper Zambezi, Chobe and Okavango catchments in Namibia, Zambia and Botswana.
The purpose of the project is to contribute to environmental conservation and to improve socio-economic benefits and food security, especially for women, children and the rural poor through capacity building and the development of regional and international networking platforms.
Main activities
- Using lessons learned from current NNF Project in Caprivi, Namibia, to develop similar community based management systems for other fisheries areas in the Zambezi, Chobe and Okavango River Systems
- Establish fishery committees at local level for different fishery areas.
- Establish cross border steering committees at different levels (communities, conservancies, local authorities, government departments/ministries, etc.) to enhance communication links and facilitate information exchange to improve fisheries management.
- Promote harmonization of fisheries legislation between countries.
- Exchange visits carried out with neighbouring communities (regional and international) to discuss best practices and lessons learned, and to develop comprehensive management plans and formal agreements.
- Capacity building in fisheries management, particularly at local community level but also at local government level and in fisheries departments.
- Identify suitable sites for Fish Protected Areas (FPAs) based on habitat suitability for key fish species.
- Community capacity building in monitoring and evaluation of FPAs.
- Engage with communities to halt the use of destructive fishing gears.
- Support for expansion of Namibian fish ranching programme into suitable water bodies in neighbouring countries.
- Facilitate and coordinate research programmes on the fish, fisheries, and dependent communities in each country.
Target groups
All conservancies in Namibia in the project area:Setting up of fisheries committees and establishing management programmes, establishment of FPAs, developing by-laws guided by the project and in partnership with MFMR.
Other fishing communities in Namibia in areas not covered by conservancies: Develop partnerships through the establishment of fisheries committees under guidance by project in close cooperation with MFMR, Traditional Authorities and Regional Councils.
Community trusts in Zambia: Setting up of fisheries committees and establishing management programmes, establishment of FPAs, developing bye-laws guided by the project and in partnership with the Barotse Royal Establishment and the Department of Fisheries.
Other fishing communities in Zambia in areas not covered by community trusts:Develop partnerships through the establishment of fisheries committees under guidance by project in close cooperation with DoF, Barotse Royal Establishment and other relevant local and traditional authorities.
Fishing communities in Botswana:Develop partnerships through the establishment of fisheries committees under guidance by project in close cooperation with fisheries departments and other relevant research institutes, as well as local and traditional authorities.
Project associates
Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), University of Hull International Fisheries Institute (Professor I.G. Cowx), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Government Fisheries Departments (Botswana, Zambia and Namibia), Government Fisheries Department Angola, African Wildlife Foundation, World Wildlife Fund.
This Project is funded by The European Union
AUS DAP FISH - NNF Consultancy
Support Integrated Fisheries Management in the two existing Fish Protected Areas (FPA's) and support the establishment of additional three FPA's.
Funding: The Direct Aid Programme (DAP)
Date: 2019
Contact person: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Project Background
Following many years of research and community support, NNF's interventions on fisheries have resulted in the Sikunga and Impalila conservancies establishing pilot FPA's on the Zambezi River which were subsequently formally designated as "Fish Reserves" by the government. The success of these areas in local stock recoveries has generated significant interest from surrounding communities to also establish their own FPA's. At the same time, Sikunga and Impalila face challenges of managing their FPA's.
Summary
The project aims at providing continued support to the existing FPA's with better integrated management and helping to channel corporate interest from lodges into longer term sustainable partnerships. In addition, there is the need to assist surrounding communities to establish their own FPA's.
The project also aims for the following:
- Strengthen community ownership over FPA's
- Better stakeholder collaboration in the co-management of FPA's.
- Assisting neighbouring communities to properly gazette FPA's
Support cross-border dialogue for better transboundary management of the fisheries.
Activities:
- On-going support to the existing FPA's - mainly supporting adn collating community monitoring of fish catches; fish guard activities in conjunction with the authorities and partnerships with private lodges and tourism operators. In addition, support cross-border dialogue.
- Support stakeholder meetings, dialogue and steps towards the establishment of new FPA's, much of this has already been initiated under the current project but will need to be carried forward through 2019 to ensure gazetting.
Completed Projects
Integrated Co-management Fisheries Resources
Funding: WWF Norway
Partners: Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, NNF, WWF
Project dates: January 2010 to December 2012
Project details
The fish resources of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers and associated Caprivi floodplains are both a vital component of the livelihoods of the floodplain inhabitants and a major angling tourist attraction. Fish is thus a major contributor to food security and the local economy.
Improved communications in the area and consequent increased commercialisation of the fishery was identified as a major threat to rural livelihoods and to aquatic biodiversity through over-exploitation of the larger fish species that are most valuable for both food and for angling tourism. Concerns were expressed by the local fishing communities and by the tourist organisations that the fishery was in serious decline as a result of widespread use of illegal and destructive fishing methods, and the results of monitoring programmes carried out since 1997 by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources confirmed over-exploitation of the large tilapiine cichlid species.
The Zambezi/Chobe fisheries project was thus conceived as a way of empowering the local communities to manage the resources in a sustainable way through the formation of local management committees and devolution of responsibility for management, as envisaged in the Namibian constitution and the Inland Fisheries White Paper. The project set out to facilitate management of the fisheries by developing a system of integrated co-management and, because the Zambezi fishery is a shared resource with Zambia, harmonisation of activities and cooperation in surveys and monitoring. It has always been acknowledged that this type of activity requires a long term commitment. After the first phase of the project ended in December 2009, the second phase ran from January 2010 to December 2012. Management of the project was shared between Mr D. Tweddle as Project Executant and Dr C. Hay as Project Co-executant.
Project outputs
Output 1: Cross-border collaboration achieved in management of the fisheries resources.
Output 2: Management plan for the fisheries developed during Project Phase 1 successfully implemented (in collaboration with neighbouring countries) for the benefit of the communities.
Output 3: Fish Protection Areas established and fully functional in targeted pilot communities.
Output 4: Tourist angling lodges operating in agreement with local fishing/conservancy committees.
Output 5: Capacity built in research and monitoring of fish resource.
Output 6: Collaboration in next phase of NNF fish ranching project.
Sustainable Marine Fisheries
Albatross Task Force
Funding: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Partners: Birdlife international
Starting date: 2008
Contact person: Samantha Matjila @ 0812304617 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Clemens Naomab @ 0818237015 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Andrew Malherbe @ 0816987631 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Alternatively, our office number: 064 204 044.
Location: We work out of the NNF coastal office which is located at the waterfront in Walvis Bay on Unit 11, Atlantic Street, The Boardwalk.
Summary
Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of birds, and more than half of all species, especially the pelagic seabirds, that spend most of their time in open waters, are undergoing population decreases (Croxall et al., 2012). The greatest threat to most of the seabirds is commercial fishing which increases levels of seabird by-catch (birds being caught inadvertently during fishing operations).
The Albatross Task Force (ATF) of BirdLife International’s Global Seabird Programme is part of the world’s first international team of by-catch mitigation instructors. The programme was established in 2006 as a collaborative initiative between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK BirdLife Partner), BirdLife International and a range of other stakeholders to meet an urgent need for skilled practitioners to work on ‘grass roots’ projects with fishermen on-shore and at-sea.
The ATF was established in Namibia in 2008, and is housed at the Namibia Nature Foundation. Over the years, we have achieved success in raising awareness of the issue and introducing mitigation measures. The ATF initially monitored the fishing fleet to collect data and highlight the significant by-catch of seabirds. The findings were then presented to government organizations and the fishing industry. Based on these observations, the ATF made suggestions for mitigation measures, which are now being implemented. The ATF Namibia is a BirdLife International project funded by the RSPB . This project is hosted at the Namibia Nature Foundation which means that the NNF manages financial disbursements and ensures that the project reaches targets and objectives set out by the donor.
Main objectives for this long-term project are:
To reduce the number of albatross and petrel deaths from fishing,
To improve the conservation status of threatened seabirds and,
Develop the capacity of Meme Itumbapo to ultimately be a “sole” manufacturer and sustainable supplier of tori-lines for trawl and longline fisheries working out of Walvis Bay.
The Albatross Task Force (ATF) in Namibia has demonstrated that seabird by-catch can be almost fully eliminated on trawl and longline vessels by using simple measures. One of the simple, cost-effective measures that can be implemented to prevent incidental seabird mortality is the use of bird-scaring lines also called ‘tori lines’.
In 2014 the ATF established a partnership with Meme Itumbapo Project, a small Walvis Bay Women’s empowerment group. The Meme’s project manufactures and provides a sustainable supply of mitigation measures (tori lines) for the longline and trawl fisheries in Namibia. ATF and the woman’s group have successfully been manufacturing tori lines for a number of fishing vessels for three years. Meme Itumbapo is currently represented by five women (33-47 years old), who generate a very small additional income by designing and producing traditional jewellery (“Onyoka”) using sea shells.
Progress Reports:
Sustainable Infrastructure
NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnership
Funding: European Investment Bank (EIB), Nedbank Go Green Fund, Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) Namibia, NamPower
Partners: NamPower, Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs), other power utilities and a variety of stakeholders
Dates: 2008, ongoing
Location of the project: throughout Namibia
Contact persons: Mike & Ann Scott (email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Why an industry-conservation partnership?
Wildlife and electricity supply conflicts are costly both to industry and to our biodiversity. Inconvenient outages (blackouts) caused by wildlife interactions such as electrocutions and collisions and the nesting of birds on power line structures may result in high maintenance and repair costs, especially in terms of the impacts of Sociable Weaver nesting activity during the rainy season.
At the same time, 71 (10%) of Namibia’s 687 bird species are recognised as being under threat. About 75% of this group fall into one or more of the following groups: coastal and marine birds; scavenging birds; birds impacted by power lines; and wetland birds. Although information is still being gathered on the extent of the impacts of power supply structures on wildlife at present, in terms of collisions and electrocutions, these factors are emerging as a very real threat.
Many of these impacts could be reduced or prevented with appropriate communication, planning and management. Due to a growing concern about the above issues, the NamPower/Namibia Nature Foundation Strategic Partnership was launched in 2008, with generous funding by the European Investment Bank.
What is the purpose of the project?
The mission of the Partnership is to address wildlife and electricity supply interactions in Namibia.
What are the objectives? To:
- Monitor, report, research and manage electricity supply and wildlife interactions;
- Incorporate wildlife mitigation into existing electricity supply networks, and into the planning for future networks;
- Promote awareness, education, communication and collaboration about the risks that the electricity supply poses to wildlife, and wildlife to the electricity supply.
Project action plan
The above objectives are directly related to a dynamic project action plan, developed and updated regularly in consultation with stakeholders.
How you can become involved
- We need your help to build our database of relevant information that is the basis of our dynamic, web-based Environmental Information Service (EIS) for Namibia (see www.the-eis.com).
- We specifically need information and photographs on wildlife and electricity supply interactions (e.g. mortalities or injuries due to collisions or electrocutions; nesting or roosting etc. on electricity supply structures in your area). Please use the Field Investigation Form to record this information.
- Subscribe and contribute to the Partnership's free, electronic newsletter
Project Action Plan for the NamPower/Namibia Nature Foundation Strategic Partnership
- Conduct power line surveys/monitoring
1.1 Conduct power line surveys/monitoring
1.2 Enter/process/analyse/provide feedback on data
2. Implement effective mitigation
2.1 Implement proactive mitigation measures for new electricity supply structures
2.2 Implement mitigation for existing electricity supply structures
2.3 Support monitoring/mitigation in renewable energy developments
3. Conduct focal research projects
3.1 Research and implement mitigation for impacts of weaver nesting on electricity supply structures
3.2 Bustard and power lines project
3.3 Flamingo tracking project
3.4 Investigate sources of bias in data gathering
- Promote awareness, information-sharing, education, outreach, collaboration
4.1 Produce newsletters and media releases
4.2 Produce further project information: flyer; website; guidelines
4.3 Disseminate information and material to identified target groups
4.4 Encourage further communication/collaboration with local partners
4.5 Encourage further communication/collaboration with international partners
4.6 Conduct training/awareness workshops and other workshops
4.7 Support and promote a free online Environmental Information Service (EIS)
Newsletters:
NP/NNF Newsletter No1 (Jun 2009)
NP/NNF Newsletter No2 (Oct 2009)
NP/NNF Newsletter No3 (Feb 2010)
NP/NNF Newsletter No4 (Jun 2010)
NP/NNF Newsletter No5 (Sep 2010)
NP/NNF Newsletter No6 (Feb 2011)
NP/NNF Newsletter No7 (May 2011)
NP/NNF Newsletter No8 (Sep 2011)
NP/NNF Newsletter No9 (May 2012)
NP/NNF Newsletter No10 (Nov 2012)
NP/NNF Newsletter No11 (Mar 2013)
NP/NNF Newsletter No12 (Oct 2013)
NP/NNF Newsletter No13 (Apr 2014)
NP/NNF Newsletter No14 (Nov 2014)
NP/NNF Newsletter No15 (Apr 2015)
NP/NNF Newsletter No16 (Nov 2015)
NP/NNF Newsletter No17 (Oct 2016)
Downloads:
Wildlife/Power Line Incident Form
Stories:
The NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnershio - A Groundbreaking Alliance
For further information or to report wildlife and power supply incidents, please email Mike and Ann Scott at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Protected Area Support
Namparks III
Funding: German Cooperation (GIZ), financed through KFW
Partners: MET, NNF, GFA
Contact person: MET or NNF Office
Summary:
The four national parks in north-eastern Namibia (Khaudum, Bwabwata, Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara) are at the heart of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area. KAZA is considered the biggest conservation area in the world with a total area of 520 000, square kilometres, with natural attractions and tourism potential.The five neighbouring countries (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) developed the KAZA for the benefit of the whole region; With Namibia playing a major role in the KAZA, and being at the heart of KAZA, allowing the free movement of wildlife between Botswana and Angola.
The NamParks Project was initiated in 1995 by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to encourage both nature conservation and socio-economic development in the Kavango and Zambezi (KAZA) Regions. The project is jointly funded by MET and on behalf of the German Federal Government, the German Development Bank KfW provides financial support.The consulting contract commenced in 2014 between MET and GFA Consulting Group GmbH in association with Consulting Services Africa (CSA) and NNF to provide consulting services for the Financial Cooperation Programme “North-Eastern Parks Programme” targeting Khaudum and Nkasa Lupala National Parks. The NNF’s responsibility was to provide technical backstopping to the project through the provision of direct technical staff.
The overall objective of NamParks is to effectively protect the parks against pressures on natural resources, provide a corridor for animal migration and represent a competitive destination for tourists, and to provide residents and neighbours of the parks to profit economically from them.
The main results of NamParks Project are:
- The infrastructure of the North Eastern Parks is improved, such as the rehabilitation of water points in Khaudum National Park and signposting and track maintenance in the parks
- Park management of North Eastern Parks is improved, by establishing monitoring and evaluation tools to assess the conditions of the parks
- Communities benefit from paks and sustainable use of natural resources by supporting Community-based Tourism Enterprise (CBTE)
- MET is supported in its role in KAZA TFCA, and in the development of tourism through collaboration with the Namibian Tourism Board and professional associations for the promotion of tourism in the region
- Ensure the MET Project Management team is supported and advice on strategic and technical planning and project implementation
The Nkasa Lupala and Khaudum National Parks infrastructure were inaugurated in September 2017 and November 2017 respectively.
Global Environmental Issues & Policies
Support to Multilateral Environmental Agreements
NBSAP
Recosting and Refinement of the Costs to Fully Implement Namibia’s Second National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (NBSAP2)
Funding: GIZ’s ResMob Project (Resource Mobilisation for Biodiversity Conservation) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment
Starting date: 2017
Contact person: Angus Middleton This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Courtney McLaren This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Alternatively, our office number: 061 248345.
Summary:
The NNF has been working with the BioFin methodology, developed by the UNDP, to re-cost Namibia’s second NBSAP (national biodiversity strategies and action plan) to produce a more accurate and disaggregated costing. NBSAPs are the primary tool, at the national level, for countries who have ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to meet their commitments. Namibia is currently mid-way through its second NBSAP (2012 -2021) with its strategic goals and targets aligning with those of the CBD’s Aichi Targets and 129 specific activities having been identified for implementation.
These activities and their respective targets had been estimated to cost just under 500 million NAD in 2013 (or 606 million NAD in today’s currency). This estimate has been considered inadequate and thus NNF was commissioned to achieve the following three objectives:
- Evaluate which resources are needed in relation with what has been budgeted to allow a successful implementation of NBSAP2
- Re-calculation and refinement of the costs be based on the UNDP-BIOFIN guidelines
- Identify and propose the correction of shortcomings of the initial NBSAP2 costing
The BIOFIN methodology looks to guide accurate budgeting for long term biodiversity related projects by facilitating the disaggregation of estimated costs for all activities in an NBSAP by year and budget line item.
The final analysis found the NBSAP2’s initial estimated costs had been substantially underestimated, with the re-costed total of 7.4 billion being over 12 times that of the initial NBSAP2 estimate. Further it was found that should the targets of Namibia’s NBSAP2 be achieved by the end of the NBSAP2 ten year period, twice the investment made in the first five years would be required during the remaining five years of Namibia’s NBSAP2.
The draft report was submitted in September and its findings have been presented at MET to both the GIZ ResMob team, the NBSAP Stakeholder Meeting in October and will shortly be circulated for feedback from relevant stakeholders. The results will be presented in further detail at the GIZ/MET ResMob Stakeholder Dialogue on November 23rd. A policy brief and BIOFIN methodology workshops for MET technical staff are also underway.
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© Photographs by Namibia Nature Foundation,
NACSO/WWF
