2015-10-20Staff Report 2 Windhoek The uptake of sustainable rangeland management practices by users in Namibia is far from optimal and various studies have revealed that the country’s production and resilience is at an all-time low. Acknowledging this fact, the National Rangeland Strategy was implemented from April this year for a four-year period with funding from the European Union (EU ) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF). The Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) submitted the project application and took responsibility for the implementation of the Rangeland Coordinating Unit. A project manager and assistant were appointed and the implementation thus gained new momentum. The project focuses on four areas, namely communal areas, resettlement farms, game farms and commercial cattle and small stock production. The project is led by a committee on which the MAWF, all three agricultural unions and experts serve. Last week, the MAWF and NAU started to invite eligible and interested candidates to show interest for the Incentives Study for Good Rangeland Management via advertisements in the printed media. The invitation comes at a time and in an environment where the profitability of livestock production is low, land tenure rights are not clarified, and bush encroachment is a national problem which severely decreases rangeland productivity. The development and implementation of incentives to enhance the uptake of good rangeland management practices is thus essential. The ultimate objective of the project is to empower rangeland managers to increase their production and profitability, while rangeland productivity improves. This year the focus will be on the implementation of a national rangeland, audit as well as the development of incentives which will improve the use of good rangeland management practices. Furthermore, it will focus on case studies where good rangeland practices have led to increased production, as well as lessons learned about what must not be done. Finally the focus will be on the development of a proposal for the funding of a programme which will restore rangeland on a national basis. The Incentives Study for Good rangeland Management will be carried out between November this year and next February and the selected candidate will be expected to deliver a desktop study to determine international incentive schemes, do an evaluation of the different incentive schemes currently implemented and provide best practices and lessons learned from global incentive schemes. The successful candidate will have to conduct intensive consultation sessions with all stakeholders in Namibia at support agency level, develop incentive schemes and provide a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed incentive schemes. For the terms of reference and a detailed description of the required services, contact the Project Administrator, Marie-Louise Wimo at marie@agrinamibia.com.na Closing date for applications is October 30 at 12:00. Technical and financial proposals must be submitted to NAU, 114 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek. Clearly state “NRMPS – Incentive Study” on the envelopes. 2015-10-20Staff Report 2
