Kunene Conservancies Receive Over N$31 Million in Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Grants

On the 18th of October 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT), in collaboration with the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN), officially handed over grants valued at approximately NAD 31 million (EUR 1.5 million) to communal conservancies in the Kunene Region. The grants, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW Development Bank, will be used to implement critical measures from the Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Action Plans (HWCMAPs), which address the unique challenges faced by communities living alongside wildlife.

Community members living in the Kunene Region are among those most affected by human-wildlife conflict incidences involving a wide range of species, such as lions, elephants, hyenas, and leopards. These incidences include loss of livestock, crops, infrastructure, and, in some cases, the regrettable loss of human life.

As part of ongoing efforts to protect both wildlife and local communities in the Kunene Region, the following infrastructure, equipment, and uniforms—acquired via the “Poverty-Oriented Support to Community Conservation in Namibia” (POSCCIN) Project—were handed over:

• Predator-proof kraals to protect livestock from predators.
• Lion collars to help conservationists monitor lions’ movements and behavior to alert communities and reduce human-lion conflict.
• Early warning towers to provide advance notice of potential wildlife threats to local communities.
• Trail cameras to monitor wildlife activity and gather data on species presence and their behavior.
• Water infrastructure providing alternative water sources for communities and wildlife.
• SMART ULE phones to assist with wildlife monitoring and performance tracking.
• Uniforms and field equipment to support Elephant Rangers and Community Game Guards.

Furthermore, communal conservancies with tourism enterprises have received Business Continuity Grants under the COVID Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Facility (CRRRF) to support tourism recovery via the upgrading of existing tourism infrastructure.

To recognize the outstanding efforts of Community Lion Rangers in mitigating human-lion conflict in the wider Kunene Region, four Lion Rangers were presented with awards as a token of appreciation for their dedication to conservation. The event was officiated by Honourable Marius Sheya, Governor of the Kunene Region; Honourable Hendrick Gaobaeb, Chairperson of the Kunene Regional Council; His Excellency Dr. Thorsten Hutter, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Namibia; Bennett Kahuure, Director of Wildlife and National Parks (MEFT); Beatrice Lucke, Country Director of KfW Development Bank, the CCFN, and other partners in conservation, including representatives from communal conservancies.

German Development Cooperation 1990 – 2024
From 1990 until the present, the funding provided to Namibia as part of German Development Cooperation (grants and loans) amounts to approximately EUR 1.6 billion (approx. NAD 32.3 billion). The KfW portfolio under current implementation comprises over 40 projects with a total funding volume of EUR 788.6 million (approx. NAD 15.4 billion), while future projects with a total funding volume of approximately EUR 123 million (approx. NAD 2.4 billion) are under preparation.