Govt to spend N$2,75 billion on dryland project – The Namibian

MINISTER of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta has said Namibia will contribute US$172 million (nearly N$2,75 billion) towards the Dryland Sustainable Landscape Impacts Programme (DSL-IP) project.

A project was launched yesterday at Rundu that is worth over US$6 million (nearly N$96 million), which will be funded by the Global Environment Facility. This will contribute to the national climate finance goal of N$255 billion needed to address climate change at a national level.

During the launch, Shifeta said the project seeks to transform the management of production systems within Namibia’s Miombo-Mopane Woodlands using an ‘integrated landscape approach’ focused on avoiding, reducing, and reversing land degradation.

The Miombo-Mopane Woodland Ecoregion supports many rural communities that rely on naturally resilient ecosystems for food, nutrition, shelter, medicine, fibre and the availability of water.

“The project’s objective is to sustainably manage multi-use dryland landscapes by addressing land-use management challenges at different scales through a collaborative, gender-sensitive and multi-sectoral approach.

“It will also deliver national and global benefits in reduced carbon emissions and increased carbon storage, thereby also contributing to the delivery of Namibia’s commitments, as per the requirement of the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” he said.

Shifeta said the sustainable practices will be supported by significant investments in training, capacity development, and rural extension services.

“There will be an introduction of farmer field schools and agro-pastoral field schools networked across landscapes, as well as in forest-farm facilities, such as community seed banks, and support to community forests.

“Sustainable land and forest practices will also be incentivised through the strengthening or creation of green value chains, with improved markets and access to them as appropriate,” he said.

Shifeta added that the project will also combat desertification, with the goal to attain land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2040.

Namibia has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to implement this transformative project.

FAO representative in Namibia Lewis Hove said over the past five years, the food organisation has been supporting the government of Namibia even before the project was conceptualised.

“The ever-increasing population requires healthy land resources and flourishing ecosystems to ensure, amongst others, food security for vulnerable communities that are most at risk of suffering from the adverse effects of a poorly managed environment,” he said.

Hove said the project aims to safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of Namibians residing within the three-targeted landscapes in Omusati, Oshikoto and Kavango East regions.

The Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo urged everyone to ensure they develop mechanisms and strategies to overcome most of the environmental problems through the project.

“It is, therefore, necessary to stand as a united force for transforming our production systems through integrated landscape approaches to avoid, reduce and reverse land and forest degradation for the betterment of our environment and its people,” he said.