It is well-known that the tourism sector is one of the biggest contributors to employment in Namibia – That was at least until the first quarter of 2020 when tourist arrivals came to halt due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions and bans as a measure to contain the virus. Recent reports have indicated of the reported 14 500 job loses between March to September 2020 the majority were in the accommodation, travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

Through the CCFN implemented Poverty Oriented Support to Community Conservation in Namibia Project and its collaboration with the Conservation Relief and Resilience and Recovery Facility, CBNRM stakeholders (government, donors, NGOs, individuals) have stepped up to avail support to various Community Based Organizations within Namibia’s registered conservancies and community forests.

Did you know that Namibia is the first country in Africa to incorporate environmental protection in its constitution?

Article 95 of Namibia’s Constitution has allowed for the formation of several policies that enable rural communal communities to directly benefit from natural resources, one of them being the National Policy on Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM).

In Namibia and in most parts of Southern Africa, wildlife does not only serve an ecological purpose, but it also offers a crucial supplementary nutritional and economic gain to rural communities. Through initiatives, such as Ecotourism and Wildlife Credits, payments for ecosystem services have not only generated sustainable income but also give incentives to environmental custodians for protecting habitat and crucial wildlife corridors.