The Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) proudly participated in the Collaborative Landscape Innovation Platform (CLIP) held from Thursday, 19 June to Friday, 20 June 2025, at the Marienfluss Conservancy in Namibia’s remote Kunene Region.
The forum brought together key stakeholders under the Skeleton Coast – Etosha Conservation Bridge (SCECB) initiative — a long-term landscape conservation and management programme co-led by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), WWF, and IRDNC, with financial support from the Legacy Landscapes Funding Facility.
This gathering served as both a feedback and planning forum, focused on advancing conservation efforts that align environmental protection with community wellbeing across one of Namibia’s most ecologically significant regions.
Protecting Namibia’s Natural Heritage
At the heart of the SCECB initiative is a commitment to:
- Safeguarding and restoring wildlife migration routes, especially for iconic species like elephant, lion, gemsbok, and springbok — whose movements are increasingly challenged by climate change.
- Conserving vital habitats, including the range of the world’s largest free-roaming black rhino population.
- Promoting sustainable land use in Namibia’s fragile arid landscapes prone to overuse and degradation.
- Improving livelihoods for communities navigating life in challenging, highly variable climates.
The program area spans a mosaic of conservancies, core wildlife areas, existing protected areas, and three tourism concessions — making multi-stakeholder collaboration critical to its success.
Strengthening Collaboration Through CLIP
CLIP serves as a multi-sectoral engagement platform, bringing together government, NGOs, conservancy leadership, and other partners to:
- Share updates and track progress on activities from the first half of 2025.
- Strengthen professional exchanges and coordination.
- Inspire joint problem-solving and forward-thinking.
- Build synergies for integrated planning and improved service delivery.
The platform aims to convene twice annually to reflect, recalibrate, and renew commitments to this transformative landscape programme.
