The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), in partnership with key stakeholders, hosted a handover ceremony of critical infrastructure, equipment, and grants to conservancies in the North Central Region, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW Development Bank (KfW).

At a ceremony held in Oshakati on Friday, the 26^th of September 2025, five conservancies in the North Central Regions, namely Uukwaluudhi, Uukolonkadhi-Ruacana, Sheya Shuushona, Iipumbu ya Tshilongo and King Nehale, were presented with grants, infrastructure, and equipment worth NAD 12 million towards the mitigation and management of human-wildlife conflict. The grant funding will support mitigation measures such as:

• Waterpoint development and rehabilitation to reduce interactions and conflicts between people and wildlife at waterpoints.

• The construction of predator-proof kraals for enhanced safety of livestock (especially at night).

• Training and capacity building on waterpoint management and maintenance as well as in the use of SMART technology for wildlife monitoring and data collection.

Further NAD 3 million have been committed to support alternative income projects in the North Central Region, with the aim to diversify local income by empowering community groups and individuals within conservancies and community forests to develop and grow their existing enterprises.

These investments totalling NAD 15 million altogether, funded under the “Poverty-oriented Support to Community Conservation in Namibia” (POSCCIN) Project, are a direct response to the expressed needs of the communities and are intended to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, strengthen local capacity and promote sustainable income generation. The POSCCIN Project is implemented by the MEFT in partnership with the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) with financial support from KfW on behalf of German Development Cooperation. The Project focuses on the establishment of sustainable human-wildlife conflict management systems and provides relief, recovery and resilience support for COVID-19-related income losses in conservancies and community forests.

We are proud to be celebrating 35 years German-Namibian development cooperation and fruitful and trusted friendship in 2025. Since Namibia’s independence, the German Federal Government, through its implementing agencies KfW, GIZ and BGR, has been a key supporter of Namibia’s development agenda. Overall, Germany’s total financial and technical bilateral support extended exceeds appr. NAD 32 billion (EUR 1,6 bn) since 1990. Namibia receives the highest amount of bilateral official development aid per capita on the whole African continent. In addition, Germany is also contributing appr. 20% to the development cooperation funds provided by the European Union.

The handover ceremony was officiated by Honourable Indileni Daniel, Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism and was made possible through the good collaboration between the Governments of the Republic of Namibia and the Federal Republic of Germany, development partners in the conservation sector, and local stakeholders. These efforts align with national conservation priorities, reinforcing goals related to environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and community empowerment