Namibia’s flagship community conservation programme is entering a decisive new phase, with Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel using the National Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Conference in Windhoek to call for urgent action, stronger accountability, and a shift towards truly community-driven ownership of natural resources.
The two-day conference concluded on a high note, celebrating excellence in conservation by honouring Namibia’s top-performing Lion Rangers of 2025.
According to Daniel, the recognition underscored the growing success of the Lion Rangers Programme, which has expanded from five to eleven conservancies and significantly reduced human-wildlife conflict in participating areas.
Daniel said the programme stands as proof that community-led conservation, backed by professional support and government collaboration, can deliver measurable results.
“When communities lead, conservation succeeds,” she emphasised, adding that recognising rangers reinforces a culture of accountability and excellence at the grassroots level.
The conference brought together stakeholders from across the country, and the ministry expressed satisfaction with the high level of engagement and robust discussions.
Key challenges facing community-based natural resource management were unpacked, alongside practical recommendations to unlock new opportunities within the programme.
Daniel said that among the major resolutions was a commitment to host focused regional meetings to address specific issues affecting conservancies, community forests, and associations.
These discussions will tackle veld fire management, tourism enterprise development, and capacity-building initiatives, including a proposed internship programme for conservancy members in the hunting sector.
Delegates also called for exploring a citizen hunting category within conservancies, stricter adherence to governance and financial management standards, and potential exemptions from minimum wage requirements for certain community structures.
A strong emphasis was placed on adopting a rights-based approach to ensure inclusive governance. Concerns were raised that current systems benefit only a few, often at the expense of vulnerable community members. Stakeholders agreed on the need to strengthen coordination, monitoring, and accountability to ensure benefits reach intended recipients.
The conference further resolved that the ministry should lead efforts to develop an updated and expanded National Integrated CBNRM Policy. This would include setting minimum eligibility requirements and establishing clear guidelines for emerging opportunities such as carbon trading within conservancies and community forests.
Daniel stressed that communities must not only participate in the programme but take full ownership of it. “They must drive it responsibly to ensure benefits are equitably shared,” she said.
A comprehensive report detailing the conference’s outcomes and resolutions will be finalised within two weeks and submitted to Cabinet after ministerial review. Daniel urged swift action, saying the real success of the conference will be measured by how effectively its resolutions are implemented.
“Now is the time to move from discussion to delivery,” she said.
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