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Community Based Natural Resource
Management (CBNRM)
Northern Namibia Environment
Project (NNEP) |
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Additional Information:
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This project started in January
1997 and ended officially, after a six-month extension, at the
end of June 2000.
The NNEP was working to support
the activities of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in
northern Namibia, specifically the communal areas of Ohangwena,
Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto
The project aimed to enhance rural
livelihoods in northern Namibia by promoting planning for
sustainable environmental management through information-based
and participatory processes in order that the natural resources
in this area should be used more sustainably.
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Linked Partners and Funding
Funding was obtained from DFID (British Government) and the
Government of Namibia. Partners include the Rössing Foundation,
NACOBTA, MAWRD, MLRGH, Directorate of Forestry, the Environmental
Profiles Project and many others.
Staff
The NNEP had three long-term technical assistants based at Ongwediva:
Dr Stuart Kean (Project Coordinator), Dr Alex Verlinden (GIS
specialist) and Ms Diane Davies (Remote Sensing Specialist). The
Namibian Project Manager was Mr Chris Eyre (Chief Warden Far North
Region). NNEP staff worked closely with DRM-MET staff in the four
regions and also at the Etosha Ecological Institute at Okaukuejo.
Project Activities and Products
During the project period, the NNEP assisted the MET to:
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Develop a computerized information
system (North-central data)
related to the natural resources of Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana
and Oshikoto regions. The system contains a wide range of
spatially referenced information of the natural resources of the
area and have been used by a large number of individuals and
organizations in the government and non-government sectors to
assist them with planning, monitoring and evaluating their
activities.
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Establish the North Central
Environmental Advisory Unit (NCEAU) in September 1999. The key
roles of the unit are to and provide technical advice,
information and analysis to provide information and advice to
key decision-makers, encourage inter-sectoral planning and
ensure synergy of environmental programmes and to engage in
environmental analysis. This unit is now housed in Ongwediva.
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Provide training, both formal and
informal, in the area of Natural Resource Management to a wide
range of organisations at different levels.
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Compile a development plan for
wildlife reintroduction and tourism for the communal areas north
of Etosha National Park.
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Promote tourism development in the
area through holding multi-stakeholder workshops, establishing
the North Central Regional Tourism Forum, producing a tourist
map of the area and sponsoring regional tourism awareness
workshops.
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Promote environmental awareness
and education through several networking initiatives in the four
regions.
The Future
Although NNEP has formally ended, the project staff worked with
staff from DFID and partners in the Rössing Foundation, Namibia's
Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) and MET to develop a
new project which will build on the accomplishments of NNEP. The
Department for International Development (DFID) has recently agreed
to fund a new four year project - the North Central Community Based
Natural Resource Management and Enterprise Development Project (NCCEDP).
This project aims to strengthen the capacity of rural communities in
the north central regions, through the development of livelihood
opportunities derived from tourism, craft and/or natural resource
management. The project will be funded through the Rössing
Foundation and NACOBTA, and will work closely with MET staff.
The information system is available at the
North-central data web-site. In
addition, the data are housed at the Natural Resource Information
Service (NRIS), Ministry of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation,
Oshakati;
nris@africaonline.com.na |
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