Africa-Press – Namibia. THE German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) recently contributed funding, grants, and equipment worth N$37 million to support projects in the Zambezi Region that aim to assist communities affected by human-wildlife conflict.
The German Embassy disclosed that the Poverty-Oriented Support to Community Conservation in Namibia (POSCCIN) Project, implemented by the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN), received N$20 million from this donation. The other beneficiary, the embassy revealed, is the Community Livelihood Development and Human-Wildlife Conflict Management (CLD-HWCM) Project as implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, which received N$17 million.
The handover ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, who emphasised that while the increase of iconic wildlife species such as elephants, crocodiles, lions, hippos, and rhinos is a success for the country, it also results in a rise in human-wildlife conflicts. The Zambezi Region is one of the areas most affected by this.
“Community members living in the Zambezi Region are among some of the most affected by human-wildlife conflict incidences involving a wide range of species such as lions, elephants, hippos, and crocodiles. These incidences include loss of livestock, crops, infrastructure and in some cases the regrettable loss of human life,” the embassy added.
The funding under the grants is, therefore, intended to support the construction of predator-proof kraals to protect livestock, water infrastructure to reduce contact between people and wild animals such as crocodiles and hippos, as well as tin and wire fencing to keep hippos and elephants away from crop fields. The grant funding is also meant to support the implementation of a Lion Ranger Programme, the conservation of agriculture and poultry projects, and other measures requested by communities to mitigate and manage human-wildlife conflict.
“It is evident that the measures speak to both the elements of wildlife conservation and people’s livelihood, maintaining the balance of priorities as it should be,” Shifeta said.
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