GCCA+ in the news: Supporting conservancies and forests in Namibia

A total of about 230 000 people living in Namibia's 86 communal conservancies and community forests will benefit from a new environmental programme under the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), co-financed by the European Union (EU) through the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+) initiative.

The new Climate Change and Inclusive Use of Natural Resources (CCIU) programme, which will run from 2021 to 2024, is implemented by German Technical Cooperation (GIZ) working alongside the environment ministry to facilitate the coherent and multi-level implementation of climate-resilient interventions and the inclusive use of natural resources. Conservancies and community forests can benefit from wildlife, tourism and the sustainable use of natural plants.

More than half of Namibians live in rural areas and are highly dependent on the use of natural resources for their livelihoods. There resources are, however, increasingly under pressure through competing land uses, over-exploitation, infrastructure development and growing human-wildlife conflict. The programme will specifically support the development of members of community-based organisations involved in natural resources management with good governance and management skills to better take advantage of available options.

“The EU strives to take a leading role in climate action, but we want to do more in Namibia”, said EU Ambassador to Namibia Sinikka Antila at COP26.  “As an example, the EU is currently supporting the Namibia’s efforts to implement its ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) made under the Paris Climate Agreement, and transitioning to climate-resilient, low-carbon sustainable green economy, through the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) programme.”

Read the articles:

• Namibian: New programme targets communal conservancies
• All Africa:  Namibia: COP26 Has to Be the Turning Point - From Climate Negotiations to Climate Solutions
• New Era Live:  Opinion - COP26 has to be the turning point - From climate negotiations to climate solutions