- Conservation and Sustainable use of Natural Resources
Namibia hosts a rich diversity of distinctive ecosystems that harbour globally significant biodiversity – much of it found nowhere else on Earth. The country is also home to diverse indigenous peoples, most of whom lead rural lifestyles in which natural resources and biodiversity occupy an integral position, supporting cultural value systems and providing the raw materials for meeting daily subsistence and livelihood needs. The country’s protected areas serve as important reservoirs for biodiversity and environmental health, and for building ecological and socio-economic resilience – particularly in the face of climate change.
Recognizing this, the Government of Namibia has established an impressive network of 21 National Parks (which are established primarily to protect biodiversity), complemented by over 80 registered community conservancies (which provide for mixed land uses, including production activities and conservation). The PASS project (Strengthening the Capacity of the Protected Area System to Address New Management Challenges) was designed to ensure that the protected area system of Namibia is sustainably financed and strengthened to address new management challenges, specifically those presented by escalating wildlife crime, and increased incidence of damaging, uncontrolled fires. This project built on the strong foundation established by previous GEF-funded, UNDP-supported interventions to strengthen Namibia’s protected area system (such as the SPAN2 and NAMPLACE3 projects) and complements several protected area-related initiatives implemented through other agencies. The overall objective of the PASS project was to strengthen and sustainably finance the protected area system through improved systems for revenue generation, introduction of new revenue streams, and cost-effective enforcement through application of the Enforcement Economics Model. The project was organized under three Components, as follows: (i) Improving systems for revenue generation and implementing new and innovative revenue generation mechanisms; (ii) Cost-effective enforcement through testing and implementing the principles of enforcement economics; and, (iii) Implementation of an Integrated Fire Management Strategy.