Overall term: August 2004 to December 2010 (first phase 2004-2007)

Context

The Namibian government has identified the degradation of natural resources, with its negative effects on the economic potential and biodiversity of rural areas, as a major obstacle to development. It leads to an over-exploitation of natural resources by inadequate usage systems. The main cause for this lies in the fact that the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has not yet created, in sufficient measure, the basic conditions necessary for a sustainable management of natural resources. The increasing degradation of soil and vegetation reduces the income opportunities of the population in the long term. A political concept for the solution of land-right problems and resource usage conflicts at the level of regions, communities, user groups exists so far only in the rudimentary stages. That leads to the inefficient utilisation of national funds for the reduction of poverty, prevention of land degradation and maintenance of biodiversity. Against this background, the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism initiated plans for the project "Sustainable Management of Natural Resources".

Objective

The objective of this project which is supported through German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is to strengthen the technical and organisational capacities of the MET to plan and implement integrated sustainable natural resource management.

Approach

The project places special emphasis on improvement of framework conditions, on capacity building of the MET for sustainable management of natural resources, as well as on the initiation and monitoring of change processes, with selected target groups and with different groups of intermediaries and service-providers in the governmental and non-governmental sectors. The long-term aim thereby is to bring resource conservation and resource use into an economically balanced relationship.

The project focuses on three main components:
1. Improving MET capacity to provide sustainable land management services
2. Ecological restoration of degraded land in pilot areas in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders and line ministries
3. Promotion of biotrade and natural product development

The project builds on the experiences from former projects supported by the German Government, particularly on the National Programme to Combat Desertification (NAPCOD) and the National Biodiversity Programme (NBP).

The responsibility of coordination lies with the Directorate of Environmental Affairs (DEA-MET).

Contact

, Project Coordinator, or , GTZ advisor