Conservancies and Tourism 

Since the enactment of enabling legislation in 1996, many  communities in the Kunene Region have formed wildlife and tourism management units called conservancies.

Once the people in a designated area have defined  boundaries, registered members, developed a constitution and elected a representative governing committee, they can become a legal body with conditional ownership and use rights over certain species of wildlife and other natural resources. These rights are similar to those enjoyed by commercial farm- ers since 1967.  Sixteen of the 31 conservancies registered nationally are in the Kunene region, with at least another 10 in various stages of becoming registered.
                                                  
 
Several conservancies have become models for wildlife conservation as well as for tourism development based on their natural resources. The people are seeking to increase their wildlife resources through translocations of excess animals provided by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism from protected areas.

Namibia’s communal conservancy approach recently received recognition by WWF-US as part of its “Gifts to the Earth” program. A recent research project, the Wildlife Integration for Livelihood Diversification (WILD) project, showed that people have benefited from conservancies through improved livelihoods. Additionally, they have become more accepting and protective towards  the wildlife. Torra conservancy won an Equator award from UNEP for biodiversity conservation and livelihoods enhancement.


Tourism is a rapidly growing aspect of Namibia’s economy, and Kunene’s people are learning to tap the market by providing wildlife and other safaris, local crafts, and simple but comfortable camping places with basic necessities.  A number of conservancies have gone into joint venture partnerships with private enterprises. As tourism and the local community both grow, so too does everyone`s appreciation of elephants as a valuable gift of nature. It is envisioned that improvements in livelihoods will lead to decreased livestock numbers, a major cause of desertification in the area.

We are all learning that both wildlife and people can benefit by changing attitudes and finding ways to live together and share earth’s resources equitably.
                                                             
As demonstrated by the lady in the picture, women are learning skills such as sewing and making crafts to earn incomes for their families.