The Ministry of Environment and Tourism together with the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (MLR), the Ministry of egriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), and a suite of collaborators are in the final phase of the preparation of a medium-sized project proposal for submission to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the World Bank as the implementing agency (to be submitted at end of 2005/early 2006).

The Government of Namibia recognizes land degradation as a key threat to Namibia`s development objectives. Consequently, in 2004, Namibia launched the Country Pilot Partnership (CPP) for Sustainable Land Management (SLM), a national framework for addressing SLM related issues in an integrated and coordinated manner. Major gaps exist in the national land use planning framework, which forms an important and integral part underpinning SLM.

The through PESILUP proposed project intervention are targeted to address explicitly identified gaps in land use planning on the local, regional and national levels, especially focusing on strenghtening the mainstreaming of environmental sustainability considerations.

Proposed Project Objective and Components (still under revision)

PESILUP will contribute to objective 1 of the CPP for SLM: "Capacity at systematic, institutional and individual levels built and sustained, ensuring cross-sectoral and demand driven coordination and implementation of SLM activities".

The overall goal of PESILUP is to develop an adaptive management framework that could guide policy and investment decisions at local and international levels, as appropriate applying an ecosystem approach. The PESILUP project objecive is "To strengthen local, regional and national level capacity for environmentally sustainable land use planning in support of SLM."

The PESILUP Project is operationalised through the following project components and expected outcomes:

Component 1: National Assessment of environmental sustainability of land uses.

Component 2: Land Use Planning (LUP) for SLM Tool Kit development

Component 3: LUP training and improved LUP performance

Outcome 1: National assessment report detailing land use options and their impacts on environmental sustainability provides a solid basis for SLM decisions.

Outcome 2: LUP Tool Kits available to land and natural resource planners and decision makers leading to improved land use planning and land management through routinely applying environmental sustainability criteria and guidelines to decision making.

Outcome 3: Capacity for Improved Land Use Planning through local, regional and national training modules for key stakeholders.

Outcome 4: Environmental sustainability criteria mainstreamed into relevant policy instruments, through improved inter-sectoral planning and coordination and increased capacity of MLR to undertake integrated LUP.

Project implementation is planned to commence during 2006.

Contacts:

1. Mr. Sem T. Shikongo
Focal contact: Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Private Bag 13306
Windhoek
Namibia

Tel: 061 - 284 2708
Fax: 061 - 240339

E-mail:

2. Mr. Mutjinde Katjiua
University of Namibia
Tel: +264 (0)81 292 8825

E-mail: