The National Environment Fund (NEF) of Botswana yesterday commenced with a benchmark study of Namibia’s Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) to attain suitable benchmarks for its own NEF. 
The purpose of the visit is to meet with the management of the EIF of Namibia and to learn from the institutional set-up that enables it to deliver on its objectives. The benchmark visit will run until Wednesday, 12 February 2020.

The planned visit is expected to provide a platform for the two institutions to network and engage on the opportunities and challenges pertaining to their respective institutional set-ups, with a view towards documenting best practices and lessons-learnt.

The NEF delegation yesterday paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, which is the national designated authority for the Green Climate Fund, where they met with Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment and Tourism, and engaged on the role and relationship with EIF and national climate change actions.

The minister in his remarks emphasised the importance of protecting the environment, highlighting that the two countries have signed multiple bilateral agreements. Shifeta added he is hopeful the two countries will sign agreements that are gearing towards ensuring environmental sustainability and how to ensure the citizens of the two countries use their resources productively. 

The minister also emphasised the need for NEF and EIF to form a partnership so that the shared resources can be mutually beneficial. 

 Meanwhile, the head of delegation for the NEF stated they are here to learn from Namibia because EIF is better resourced and better managed – and it is one of the best examples to learn from, further urging that Africans do not always have to go to Europe to benchmark.