Over the past 25 years, Namibia’s community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programme has transformed rural livelihoods, strengthened democratic participation, and generated substantial economic benefits for the nation.
Since its inception in 1998 with just four conservancies, the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme in Namibia has expanded to 86 conservancies and three resident associations in 2023, alongside 47 community forests and 20 fisheries reserves, empowering communities to manage timber, grazing, plant, and inland fish resources.
This is according to the 2023 State of Community Conservation Report released this year.
According to the report, between 1990 and 2023, community conservation contributed an estimated N$ 15.468 billion to Namibia’s net national income (NNI), with 2023 alone accounting for about N$ 1.075 million.
This contribution, which includes direct and indirect economic impacts from tourism, hunting, and related enterprises, is four times greater than cumulative donor and support investments of N$ 3.8 billion.
The NNI reflects the value of goods and services made available to the nation each year through community conservation initiatives, including revenue from airlines, hotels, car rental companies, private sector tourism and hunting operations, and government taxes.
It said that community conservation has created employment opportunities, with 934 full-time and 104 part-time or seasonal positions reported in 2023.
Conservation hunting concessions provided an additional 165 full-time and 80 part-time/seasonal jobs, while 56 conservancies hosted 93 enterprises based on natural resources, supporting thousands of residents directly and indirectly.
In 2023 alone, conservancy residents earned a total cash income of N$ 90.5 million from enterprise wages.
Of this, about N$57.7 million came from joint-venture tourism, N$ 30.7 million from conservancies themselves, and N$ 1.9 million from conservation hunting.
The report said that, additionally, residents received 90 116 kg of game meat from hunting activities.
Combined cash and in-kind benefits to rural communities amounted to more than N$ 166 million.
Tourism contributed about N$ 111,6 million, conservation hunting generated N$48.9 million (with an additional meat value of about N$2.4 million), indigenous plant products contributed about N$1,19 million, and miscellaneous income, including interest, added was N$3,07 million.
The programme covers 185 809 square kilometres – approximately 60.7% of all communal land – supporting an estimated 244 587 residents, including 7 384 in Bwabwata National Park, 2 468 in the Dorob and Namib Naukluft National Parks, and 900 in Etosha National Park. Conservancies themselves manage 166 179 square kilometres.
