Large landscape conservation is linking state protected areas with communal conservancies, community forests, and freehold land with conservation goals.
Transfrontier conservation areas are building common platforms for the movement of wildlife across international borders, with community-based tourism as an economic driver.
International learning exchanges have enabled conservationists worldwide to study the Namibian model of Community Based Natural Resource Management.
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Community conservation is contributing to the national economy, principally through tourism and related enterprises.
Apart from the direct returns to rural communities, conservation has a broad and significant impact on the economy of the country, and promotes nation building by contributing to national economic growth. This national impact can be assessed by taking into account all income streams flowing to communities, government and the private sector through related value chains as a consequence of community conservation.
Multiplier effects of industries related to CBNRM include:
- airlines, hotels and car rental companies;
- private sector tourism and hunting operations related to conservancies;
- rental and taxes;
- further spending generated by the additional income above.
Marketing Namibia
All of Namibia is benefiting from the country’s status as a community conservation model. Tourism and hunting operators active in conservancies have a distinct marketing advantage in this regard, especially if they can show that they are contributing to sustainable growth through the equitable sharing of income and by engaging with communities in development activities.
Estimates of the national economic returns from CBNRM compared to economic investment costs
*Figures have been adjusted for inflation to be equivalent to the value of Namibia dollars in 2022. This means they are not directly comparable with those used in the 2021 Community Conservation Report, which used figures equivalent to the value of Namibian dollars in that year.Although the CBNRM programme focuses primarily on empowering rural communities, the overall economic impact of the programme on the Namibian economy is substantial, despite the impact of COVID-19. Community conservation has contributed to the national economy through tourism, conservation hunting, and other enterprises.
In 2022, the net national income (NNI) contribution made by CBNRM was about N$ 913 million. The NNI contribution can be defined as the value of goods and services that community conservation activities make available each year to the nation. Between 1990 and 2022, the cumulative value of the NNI contribution amounts to an estimated N$ 13.466 billion. This contribution is 3.8 times greater than the cumulative investment into the programme through donors and support organisations, which is estimated at N$ 3.468 billion. The NNI contribution is estimated by also considering the multiplier effects of international visitors (tourists and hunters) visiting Namibian communal conservancies.
The economic efficiency of CBNRM
Since 1990, the programme has had an economic internal rate of 18% and has earned an economic present value of some N$ 2.027 billion, indicating a highly positive economic return for programme investment. Investment in the conservancy programme started before the first conservancies were officiall ygazetted in 1996, as community game guards were being trained and the communities mobilised around the concept of CBNRM. Investment was higher than economic returns until 2002, when the programme broke even.| Years of investment | Economic Rate of Return | Net Present Value N$ |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 9% | 120,056,959 |
| 20 | 12% | 309,593,780 |
| 22 | 14% | 545,667,226 |
| 24 | 15% | 810,273,612 |
| 26 | 17% | 1,151,897,444 |
| 28 | 18% | 1,506,582,455 |
| 30 | 18% | 1,733,241,247 |
| 32 (2022) | 18% | 2,027,271,009 |
The Economic Efficiency of CBNRM. Since 1990, the program has had and economic internal rate of return of 18% and has earned an economic net present value of N$ 2.027 billion – a very positive economic return for programme investment.
The value of wildlife
Besides the monetary value of the programme, wildlife itself has a tangible value (minimally, as meat). Accurate population estimates for all species are difficult to determine, but wildlife numbers have increased since 1990, although drought conditions in the northwest have led to recent wildlife declines. The ecosystem services provided by plants and animals that are managed through CBNRM are also difficult to calculate in monetary terms, but these are nonetheless substantial contributions nationally and globally. The economic figures presented in the figure and table above indicate the more easily measurable impact of CBNRM only and therefore represent a partial estimate of its true positive impact.
The value of increased capacity
Further economic values could be counted if adequate measures were available, including the economic value of local management institutions and the increased capacity that results from training provided to people associated with conservancies.
CBNRM, Community Based Natural Resource Management, is recognised by the Namibian government for making an important contribution to national development. Namibia’s fifth National Development Plan goals include lifting people out of poverty, diversifying livelihood opportunities and providing long-term institutional structures that help to drive economic growth.
Namibia’s fifth National Development Plan consists of four pillars, to which community conservation makes a significant contribution.
ECONOMY
Economic Progression
- generates cash and in-kind benefits to conservancies and members
- promotes economic development and poverty reduction through livelihood
diversification and private sector partnerships - facilitates new jobs and income opportunities in rural areas, especially within
the tourism, hunting, natural plant products and craft sectors
COMMUNITY
Social Transformation
- promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women through equal access to employment and governance, resources and economic opportunities
- increases household food security and reduces malnutrition through
livelihood diversification and the provision of game meat - promotes cultural pride and the conservation of cultural heritage through responsible tourism and the development of living museums and other cultural tourism activities
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Sustainability
- makes significant contributions to environmental conservation, funded through tourism and conservation hunting income
- promotes equal access to natural resources through formal management structures and participatory processes
- encourages a sense of ownership over natural resources and responsibility for development
- facilitates the reduction and reversal of land degradation and deforestation through mandated, structured and sustainable natural resource management
- facilitates integrated land-use planning through formal management structures and collaboration with other community, government and
private sector stakeholders - promotes sustainable practices and increases agricultural productivity
through land-use diversification, structured and sustainable management, and activities such as conservation agriculture and community rangeland management
ENABLER
Good Governance
- promotes democracy in rural areas through community participation and democratic election of office bearers
- emphasises accountability, transparency and good governance through performance monitoring and evaluation
- emphasises the equitable distribution of returns
- enables significant capacity enhancement through on-going training in governance, natural resource management and business, as well as inservice training in the private sector
In 2022, with the re-opening of countries, international borders and travel, the Namibian government and CBNRM and conservation organisations were once again able to fully participate in international conservation efforts and share experiences globally.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC), took place from 18 to 23 July 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. It was the first ever continentwide gathering of African leaders, citizens, and interest groups to discuss the role of protected areas in conserving nature, safeguarding Africa’s iconic wildlife, delivering vital lifesupporting ecosystem services, and promoting sustainable development while conserving Africa’s cultural heritage and traditions. More than 2400 participants from 53 African and 27 other countries participated in APAC. Representatives from five Namibian institutions attended APAC: Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO), Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), World Wildlife Fund Namibia (WWF), and Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC).
The main outcome of APAC was the Kigali Call to Action for People and Nature. The Congress identified priority actions to strengthen Africa’s protected and conserved areas in a manner that is just, equitable and fair. These actions include a strengthening of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, greater public and private financial investment in nature conservation and protected and conserved areas, and enhanced Pan-African collaboration, cooperation and partnership for protected and conserved area systems throughout the continent.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that the international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. The CITES Conference of the Parties (COP) 19 was held in Panama City, Panama from 14 – 25 November 2022 to discuss the future of more than 500 species with representatives from more than 160 countries. The MEFT delegation and other Namibian delegates participated on multiple issues which have an impact on conservation in Namibia.
COP 19 saw lion, elephant, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros on the agenda. Namibia and its regional neighboring countries, which sustain recovered and increasing wildlife populations and support the sustainable use of wildlife, are often in opposition to other countries regarding the conservation and management of specific species. In addition to discussions on species conservation, two documents were submitted to CITES, with support from Namibia, to create a Rural Communities Subgroup and to re-establish an intersessional group to investigate mechanisms for CITES to engage with communities.
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP 15) took place in Montreal, Canada from 7-19 December 2022. Namibia was represented by 19 total participants from the MEFT, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), WWF Namibia, University of Namibia (UNAM), National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), NNF, and Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLC).
The overall objective of this conference was to discuss, negotiate and adopt a new set of goals for biodiversity. The magnitude of the challenge of biodiversity loss suggests that only transformational change can bend the curve. Transformative thinking is necessary at a whole-of-society level, with all economic activities in need of reassessment through a biodiversity lens.
By the end of COP 15, the CBD community adopted the hardfought, well balanced Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that will guide biodiversity policy in the years to come, through a set of 23 action-oriented global targets to be achieved by 2030. In addition, four overarching goals for 2050 focus on ecosystem and species health, including a halt to human-induced species extinction, the sustainable use of biodiversity, equitable sharing of benefits, and implementation and finance to include closing the biodiversity finance gap ($700 billion per year).
Participation at these important international events allows Namibia and the CBNRM programme to share our lessons learned, build key relationships, and participate in creating the guiding frameworks for our own conservation work.
Learning and sharing
Namibia’s CBNRM partners have facilitated many exchange visits, with many conservation organisations vising Namibia to study our conservation model. Particular examples are exchanges with Nepal and a WWF workshop on scaling up of best conservation practices.
Technical support was provided in 2017 to WWF Kenya on the establishment and negotiation of joint venture lodges and WWF Tanzania on business plans and negotiations with private sector for community forests.
The Namibian community game count methodology was introduced to the Silowana Complex – including Sioma Ngwezi National Park and the adjacent Game Management Area, which is also utilised by farmers – in Zambia in September 2017, during which the first community game count in the area was undertaken.
Two studies on CBNRM were commissioned: to identify best practices and review lessons learned through 30 years of the Namibia CBNRM Programme; and a global study to document the enabling conditions for common property management. As part of this latter study, some of the most successful community conservation initiatives around the world were identified and analysed for commonalities of success.
Towards a healthier planet
Community conservation provides an important service to the world by maintaining healthy ecosystems and globally important biodiversity assets, while delivering a variety of immediate and tangible returns.
Finding payment mechanisms
Payment for ecosystem services is a concept gaining ground internationally. As ecosystems come under ever-greater pressure from industry and development, ways need to be found to ensure that services such as clean water are sustainably delivered, and that productive soils and healthy plant and animal communities are sustained. The value of eco-system services can be calculated in monetary terms, and options for creating payments to the entities that safeguard the services, such as credits for protecting wildlife, are being explored internationally. Conservancies and community forests could in future become the beneficiaries of such payments and would thereby be able to carry out their functions more effectively and sustainably.
A novel payment system for conservation performance called Wildlife Credits is being developed in Namibia, which may become a model for other countries in the region and globally.
Biodiversity offsets represent a related concept, developed to mitigate the impacts of destructive activities such as mining. The pressure on mining companies to offset the biodiversity impacts of their activities will increase as global environmental concerns such as loss of biodiversity and climate change become more acute. Conservancies should benefit from these biodiversity offsets, because they are safeguarding national and global biodiversity.
