The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia has handed over 16 projects funded to the value of N$66 million, located in communities of Otjozondjupa, Omusati, Oshikoto, Kunene, Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi, Erongo and //Karas regions.
The projects were funded through the Green Climate Fund through the EIF’s Empower to Adapt: Creating Climate Change Resilient Livelihoods through Community Based Natural Resources Management in Namibia (CBNRM EDA) Project Grant Facility, which has financed 31 grants projects to gazetted Community Forests and Communal Conservancies in 12 of the 14 political regions of Namibia.
The funded projects according to the EIF have to date contributed towards empowering rural CBNRM communities in Namibia by increasing their resilience to adverse impacts of climate change such as protracted droughts, increased flood events, reduced crop production and livestock losses, while directly contributing towards the realization of Namibia’s obligations to national and international climate change goals, objectives and frameworks.
These community projects according to the EIF have benefited 50 000 beneficiaries, provided more than 3000 green jobs, and an area of more than 5,500 000 million Hectares (Ha) of ecosystems have been strengthened, restored, and protected from climate variability and change according to the fund.
The EIF said through the rehabilitation of 85 boreholes and four earth dams, a total of more than 240,000 livestock (both cattle and small stock), as well as wildlife now have access to reliable and safe water supply despite climate shocks and stresses.
“This incorporation of nature-based enterprise concept for projects with income generation objectives, mainly fodder, horticulture and renewable energy gives me assurance on the sustainability of these interventions for diversified livelihood options,” Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi said during the handover of the 16 completed projects.
Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Deputy Minister, Heather Sibungo said “The EDA (Enhance Direct Access) modality is structured in such a way that guarantees that funding will be exclusively and directly channelled to the vulnerable gazetted Communal Conservancies and Community Forests, where their project’s impact is being realized” Sibungo said.
“These projects will further contribute towards achieving the national objectives set in the National Policy on climate change and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) as per the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”
“We will continue to engage multilateral climate and environmental funds as well as other development finance institutions to mobilise more funding to enhance our portfolio nationally as our mandate dictates” EIF Chief Executive Officer, Benedict Libanda said.
