Namibia’s long-term biodiversity resilience depends on the systematic integration of site-specific ecological knowledge held by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), whose sustained interaction with natural systems provides critical insights into sustainable resource management. Recognising this, Namibia Nature Foundation, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), convened a high-level workshop from 5-6 November 2025 in Windhoek to elevate indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) within national biodiversity policy frameworks.

Namibia’s rural communities, which make up around 70% of the population, depend daily on natural resources for food, medicine, shelter and income. Their knowledge systems, passed down for generations, hold critical insight into the sustainable use of biodiversity.  Yet this wisdom has been sidelined in policymaking, and Namibia continues to face escalating challenges like deforestation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

The workshop brought together government representatives, academics, IPLC leaders, and civil society to address this gap. Participants discussed findings from the first national ILK dialogue and literature review, which confirmed that much of Namibia’s ILK remains undocumented, unprotected, and undervalued, with room to improve in effective and equal participation of IPLCs in planning, implementation and review of national programs such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Key outcomes included consensus on the urgent need for co-created documentation, ethical knowledge sharing, and policy alignment with ILK principles. Community leaders emphasised the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and ensuring that any use of ILK results in fair and direct benefits for its holders.

The workshop also equipped decision-makers with tools to begin integrating ILK into the upcoming National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP III), directly supporting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goals, especially targets 3, 4, 5, 9, 21, and 22.

What became clear is that ILK is not just cultural heritage; it’s a practical, time-tested system for environmental management. Excluding it from Namibia’s biodiversity strategies weakens those efforts. Including it makes them stronger, smarter, and more just. The challenge now is to keep the momentum going and turn shared understanding into policy change. Because Namibia’s future depends on it.

This coincides with the new era that has started with the first meeting ever of the newly approved Subsidiary Body on Article 8J (SB8J, equivalent to SBSTTA and SBI) of the CBD that met for its convening meeting in October 2025 in Panama, elevating issues related to the implementation of Article 8J and enhancing the engagement and participation of IPLCs in all convention processes. With the assistance of UNESCO, Namibia is proud to be one of the three pilot countries preparing an ILK Outlook, together with Malawi and Trinidad and Tobago, placing itself at the forefront of recognising the importance of ILK and IPLCs in implementing the KMGBF.

For more information regarding the “National Outlook on Indigenous and Local Knowledge of Biodiversity” project, including details on policy integration and future ILK initiatives, please contact the following project leads:

• Britta Hackenberg (Senior Technical Associate) bh@nnf.org.na
• Morgan Haupfleitsch (Director of Research) mh@nnf.org.na