The Environmental Investment Fund handed over N$88.3 million to 34 community-based organisations in eight landscapes that are threatened by climate change.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said these grant projects are located in landscapes covering more than 200 000 square kilometres of land and home to about 216 000 people, which is around 7.5% of Namibia’s total population.
“As grant recipients, you have been entrusted with a responsibility that extends beyond the immediate benefits of financial support, and you hold the key to driving meaningful change in your communities and the broader landscape of environmental protection in Namibia,” he said during the handover of the funds.
He added that with this funding, about 3 500 climate-resilient job opportunities will be created in rural areas across Namibia.
Said Shifeta: “These grants reflect our belief in the power of local action and community-led initiatives in the fight against the impacts of climate change. The projects have the potential to create a lasting impact, not only for the present, but also for future generations who will inherit the consequences of our actions today.”
The Ministry is thus committed to providing unwavering support to all environmental initiatives and policies which contribute to our shared vision of a sustainable world, which Namibia is part of.
EIF board member Desiree Pieters said the fund is Namibia’s response to the growing global need for environmental-related investments, and is one of the fastest-growing environmental and climate financing institutions in the world.
“Amongst its recognisable impacts to date since inception, the fund has ensured that more than 240 256 hectares of land are under conservation. The fund, together with its international partners, has facilitated and disbursed 258 community-based and individual grants valued at more than N$2.3 billion,” she highlighted.
One of the hardest-hit and drought-stricken regions is the mighty Kunene, with climate turmoil significantly affecting both humans and livestock, leading locals to plead with the government to make provision for food and fodder to save lives.
“We have a lot of fights in terms of climate change. What is important is that these projects are community-based and initiated, and most importantly community implemented. In the past five years, we have had quite a lot of these projects, and we saw how people benefitted from them,” Kunene governor Marius Sheya told New Era.
He said projects have come up with ways of rehabilitating infrastructure in terms of water to renewable energy, restocking of livestock, and with the push by EIF and government, climate change can be tackled in sustainable ways.
The Orupupa Conservancy in Kunene managed to walk away with N$3.5 million. Their mission is to implement climate-smart solar water infrastructure, and improve adaptive capacity through livelihood diversification and income- generating projects for communities in six villages.
The conservancy aims to assist 255 households, supported through the implementation of project activities. They promised to ensure that 10 951 small and large livestock are provided with sufficient water, as well as employ 30 youth in the area.
Another beneficiary in the region is the Otuzemba Conservancy, which will set up a community garden fitted with drip irrigation and solar water pumps, facilitate employment-creation and ensure 70 households have excess to food. They got N$1.6 million.
Finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi said here that the intensification of climate change has amplified challenges, slowing down the economic outlook, and hindering the path to sustainable development.
“In terms of the livestock sector, in the next 70 years, it is possible that there may be an income decline of approximately 1 percentage per annum that would result in production and growth losses of the country’s net income. This has an average predicted change in agricultural revenue to decrease by 28 percentage points of current revenue by 2050, and a loss of 42% by 2080,” he stated.
Shiimi added that the Namibian government declared national emergencies in 1992/1993, 1995/1996, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2015/2016 and 2018/2019 due to extreme drought events, and by the end of 2019, which was the worst drought recorded in 90 years.
“The negative economic impact of climate change in Namibia is a pressing issue that demands our immediate attention. Together, we can build a more resilient and prosperous Namibia— a nation that thrives in the face of adversity and leads the charge in climate change adaptation and mitigation,” he said. - psiririka@nepc.com.na