In 2020, the CBNRM programme took a significant step towards self-reliance with the official launch of the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN). CFFN is designed as a vehicle for providing long-term support to the CBNRM programme as a whole and to address cross-cutting issues with targeted projects.
In 2008, the MEFT held a CBNRM Sustainable Strategy Workshop to investigate options for improving the longterm financial sustainability of the CBNRM programme, thus reducing its reliance on external donor funding. The outcome of the workshop was the formation of a Task Force (including MEFT, NACSO member organisations, WWFNamibia, and other experienced individuals) to draft the CBNRM Sustainable Strategy that included a sustainable financing strategy.
The idea for CCFN was born out of these deliberations. Today, CCFN raises, administers, manages, grows, and disburses funds to promote the sustainable development of communal conservancies, community forests, and related CBNRM entities. CCFN has identified three core areas for which it aims to secure financing for Namibia’s communal conservancies, community forests and other CBNRM entities: Critical Support Services (formerly Minimum Support Packages); human-wildlife conflict mitigation; and Payment for Ecosystem Services.
Critical Support Services provide funding for core CBNRM activities and training that all conservancies need to operate effectively and comply with prevailing regulations. This includes (but is not limited to) natural resource management assistance (e.g. annual game counts), governance and ‘dripping tap’ support for financial management, legal services and human resources capacity development. To provide this support in the long-term, CCFN has established an endowment fund with seed funding of approximately US $800,000 million secured from ACACIA.
The CCFN human-wildlife conflict (HWC) fund is dedicated to working with conservancies on mitigation measures that will help to promote and maintain co-existence between humans and wildlife. This will in turn support biodiversity conservation and improve the resilience of rural livelihoods. At the official launch for CCFN, a four-year HWC project was launched, with core funding of € 5 million from KfW. The project will assist conservancies in developing sustainable human-wildlife management systems. CCFN, as the implementing agency, MEFT and other CBNRM stakeholders are working closely to ensure the success of this project.
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are made by a beneficiary or user of an ecosystem service to the provider of that service, thus creating a concrete way of aligning global finance with conservation objectives. Housed within CCFN, Wildlife Credits is a Namibian form of PES that rewards communities for verifiable conservation results. Results could include protecting wildlife corridors, monitoring and protecting critically endangered black rhinos, and tolerance for high conflict species such as lions. There is scope for expansion of the Wildlife Credits products to include more communal conservancies and a broader array of conservation results.
CCFN is registered as a Non-Profit Association Incorporated under Section 21 of the Namibian Companies Act. It is governed by the Companies Act and its Articles of Association, and has a Strategy Plan, an Investment Strategy and various Internal Operations manuals and policies.
Under the patronage of the Honourable Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relationships and Cooperation, CCFN is governed by a Board of volunteer directors, who are esteemed members of Namibia’s public, private and civic sectors. The CCFN also has a Board-appointed Investment and an Audit and Risk committee.
» Read more on the CCFN website.
