WINDHOEK, (The Southern African Times) – Namibia on Tuesday launched a Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) and wildlife crime project aimed to incentivize wildlife conservation through proactive management of HWC and wildlife crime while concurrently delivering wildlife-based benefits to rural communities in targeted hotspot landscapes.
Speaking at the launch of the project, Environment Ministry executive director Teofilus Nghitila said HWC and wildlife crime are challenges to the country’s conservation of wildlife requiring management and adaptation.
“Unfortunately, poverty in our rural areas remains a root cause of HWC and wildlife crime thus this project will target generating economic benefits for communities from wildlife related enterprises,” he said.
The project will focus on strengthening the capacities of conservancies, communal farmers and government agencies to more actively plan for, manage and monitor HWC and wildlife crime as well as strengthen the capacities of anti- poaching units and monitoring of high risk/high-value species.
According to Nghitila, the project which will stretch for the next five years is expected to help Namibia prevent and mitigate HWC and wildlife crime.
