Conservancies, community forests and fish reserves manage their specific natural resources to protect and increase the resource and allow for sustainable use. Management actions, stipulated in management plans, include the protection of key habitats, the setting of sustainable harvest quotas and the timing of and methods for harvesting. The collection of data through the Event Book, game counts, plant inventories and fishing records feed into the adaptive management system. If objectives are being met, then management actions continue. If objectives are not being met, management actions are modified to meet the objectives. This ongoing feedback loop supports informed decision making and management interventions.
In addition to the data obtained through monitoring, adaptive management is also influenced by climatic conditions. Vegetation monitoring is a long-term tool to measure the health of the environment by assessing tree cover and grass in designated plots. To date, vegetation monitoring plots have been established in 12 conservancies. A new site is added annually. The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is used as a tool to inform management decisions along with a local climate monitoring system. The overall objective of the local climate monitoring system, integrated with the Event Book, is to ensure that local communities have reduced vulnerability and increased resilience to the anticipated impacts of climate change by incorporating climate adaptation response strategies into local practices.
One of the activities in the adaptive management system cycle is the setting of off-take quotas for wildlife. Off-take is used either as hunting for meat (for conservancies or Traditional Authorities) or conservation hunting. Ensuring sustainable use requires constant feedback and monitoring through the adaptive management system. Data on population estimates, structure and trends, and environmental conditions are used to determine sustainable off-take quotas granted to conservancies. Much of the data is directly collected by community game guards in the Event Book system as part of their regular responsibilities, but also includes annual game counts and specialist input.
Additional important aspects of adaptive management include conservancy zonation and the management of elephants, drought, fires and fisheries (below).
The scale of conservancy management
Considerable management responsibilities are carried out over huge and often inaccessible areas, despite the fact that most conservancies are under-staffed and under-financed, and many do not have a vehicle. Only five conservancies are less than 100 square kilometres in size. Nine of the 86 registered conservancies are between 5,000 and 9,000 square kilometres, which is between 65 and 120 times the size of an average commercial farm in Namibia. Conservancies manage both tourism and hunting enterprises, and also harvest game to sell and to distribute as a community benefit. They actively monitor wildlife using event books and by taking part in annual game counts. The information is used to guide management decisions and to adapt to constant change. Annual utilisation quotas are set, monitored and revised by the MEFT in liaison with conservancies through annual quota review meetings.Conservancy management zones
Zonation for land use planning considers both the needs of farmers to grow crops and rear livestock, and of wildlife to move across the landscape. Zoning conservancies for different land uses can significantly reduce conflicts, while recognition of wildlife corridors allows movement between seasonal ranges, reducing local pressure. Many conservancies have zoned their areas for tourism, hunting, farming and multiple-use purposes. However, they are constrained by the fact that they do not have legal powers to enforce zones. Conservancies are working with traditional leaders and regional land boards to make zonation more enforceable.
A zonation map for Mashi Conservancy in the north-east Zambezi Region produced by NACSO’s Natural Resources Working Group. Areas marked in brown are set aside for settlement and crop production. Dark green areas are for exclusive wildlife use, with no disturbance. The lighter green areas close to the river are for wildlife and tourism. Two joint-venture lodges, Namushasha and Camp Kwando, are situated on the river. The largest area is for multiple use, including livestock grazing.
Elephants
The MEFT Elephant Management Plan recommends the implementation of a structure that divides the elephant range into four geographical components:- Northwest;
- Central North and Etosha NP
- Kavango East, Kavango West, Otjozondjupa, Khaudum NP and neighbouring conservancies;
- Zambezi Region and Bwabwata NP.
Drought
An example of the adaptive management system at work was the response to drought in the Kunene and Erongo Regions in north-western Namibia. A series of good rainfall years (2005-2011) stimulated the growth of wild herbivore populations, particularly springbok, thus allowing conservancies to use these animals for meat and conservation hunting. Since 2012, however, nearly all years have recorded well below-average rainfall and 2018/19 was the worst drought year in decades. Rangelands in the north-west are still in worse condition than the long-term average, although the north-east and some parts of the south recovered after good rains in 2019/2020.
Fire management
The management of fires is a very important conservation tool. Community forests and the Directorate of Forestry cut firebreaks and burn sections of forest grasses and bush early in the dry season, before the fire load becomes dangerous. This is beneficial to the forest because it reduces fuel-loads, which lessens the damage of wildfires to trees, and the green regrowth provides nutritious fodder for wildlife.
Fisheries
A wide variety of fish are found in Namibia’s northern rivers, including such sport-angling favourites as tigerfish, catfish and bream. Inland fisheries are an important food resource for communities. Fish productivity in rivers is being improved by creating community fish reserves that facilitate undisturbed breeding.
Quotas are reviewed and awarded to conservancies on a threeyear cycle. 2022 was a quota setting year and data-derived quotas were developed and recommended by the MEFT to conservancies in a consultative process. Once all parties agree, quota management contracts are signed between conservancies and the MEFT. Conservancies can then appoint joint venture hunting partners to conduct conservation hunting activities. Any harvest of wildlife is closely managed by conservancies and monitoring and reporting undertaken as part of quota management. The regular monitoring of wildlife, including game counts and regular patrols continues. In the second and third years of the quota cycle, all new data is analysed and if there are any concerns, consultations are undertaken, and quotas
are adjusted accordingly.
In 2022, 74 conservancies were granted own use hunting quotas and 44 conservancies had conservation hunting concessions.
