Namibia recently hit global headlines, as the government responded to the intense drought with a plan to cull 723 animals. Although the country is known for its arid landscapes and our people are used to droughts, the current dry period is the worst it we have faced in 100 years. These conditions threaten the survival of people and wildlife alike, making it difficult for local communities that depend on conservation and natural resource management to survive.
Namibia’s 86 registered communal conservancies that cover more than 20% of the country, 47 registered and emerging community forests, and 20 fisheries reserves play an important role in conserving wildlife and sustainably managing natural resources. These areas, governed by local communities, are home to a vast population of iconic animal species such as elephants, rhinos, lions and antelopes, economically important plant species, and various fish species. The photographic and hunting tourism industries focus on the iconic animals, while communities often use plants and fish for sale or household use. The two types of tourism have provided employment and revenue for community development that is managed by the communal conservancies.
The purpose of the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme was to foster and empower communities living in conservancies to manage and sustainably use their resources for their benefit. The current drought is a severe test for CBNRM programme, as conservancies and the government seek to balance wildlife conservation with the pressing needs of people.
According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, nearly half of the Namibian population are considered to be in a state of food crisis in 2023/2024. If nothing is done about it and insufficient rain falls in the coming months, many people may die from hunger. Namibia is not alone, as this drought is severely affecting the livelihoods of communities in countries across Southern Africa. Finding solutions to drought is therefore high on the agenda for Namibia and its neighbours.
Effects of the 2024 drought on Namibian conservancies
© G. C. ThomsonDrought has many impacts that are closely linked and difficult to address simultaneously. Firstly, drinking water for humans and animals (domestic and wild) becomes scarce, as lakes, rivers, boreholes and other water sources dry up. Secondly, grazing areas for livestock and wild animals become barren, as grass cannot grow without sufficient rainfall.
As water and food resources become scarcer each day, competition between livestock and wildlife intensifies, putting stress on people and the ecosystems they depend upon. The movement of large mammals such as elephants and buffaloes in search of water and food has led to increased human-wildlife conflicts. These animals encroach on agricultural land more than usual due to their desperation, destroying crops and water infrastructure in their wake.
Furthermore, the decline in wildlife populations due to the long-term drought, particularly in the north-western part of the country, has negatively affected hunting quotas, which is another important stream of income. In response to the low wildlife numbers in the north-west, hunting to sell the meat (known as shoot and sell) has been stopped entirely and only small trophy hunting quotas are allowed for particular species.
Facing double trouble: food insecurity and Human-Wildlife Conflict
The above factors reduce the conservancies’ ability to help their members survive the drought and respond to the increasing human-wildlife conflict. In response to the conservancies’ calls for help, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) included 83 elephant hunts as part of their culling plans.
The money from these hunts will boost the conservancies’ income, while the meat will be distributed to their members. While this is only one of many measures that the government has taken to boost food security during the drought, it was welcomed by conservancies as a way of reducing human-elephant conflict at the same time.
Even with this intervention, it is likely that incidents of human-wildlife conflict will increase across Namibia. Elephants and other large herbivores (e.g., hippo and buffalo) tend to destroy more crops and infrastructure (water points and fences) during the height of the drought. Meanwhile, carnivores may opportunistically take weakened livestock that are pushed to seek grazing far from human habitation.
Local people may retaliate and use defensive measures that harm or kill wildlife in their struggle for survival. The more such incidents happen, the more costs conservancies incur to mitigate them. If adequate rainfall does not fall in the following months, many rural households that rely on subsistence farming will have dried crops and subsequently low harvests, resulting in loss of income and food insecurity.
Learning from the past and preparing for future droughts due to climate change
© G. C. ThomsonA recent study by Metolo Foyet on the history, principles, evolution and contemporary challenges of CBNRM in southern Africa, highlights that balancing conservation objectives with community needs requires careful negotiation and adaptive management. While this is true during normal years, it becomes even more necessary during a severe drought such as this one.
Climate change predictions for Namibia forecast possibility of more severe droughts in our future, it is therefore critical for our communities to adapt their livelihood and conservation strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. Rural communities will need to explore extra income-generating activities and alternative livelihood options, such as climate-resilient crops and drought-resilient agricultural practices. Conservancies and their partners within and outside of the government need to invest in improved water management, including construction of boreholes and waterpoints that reduce human-elephant conflict.
Climate change is likely to increase Namibia’s rate of urbanisation and the need for non-agricultural livelihoods in rural areas (e.g. renewable energy projects or other industries). These changes require the attention from the whole government – not just MEFT – and from countries and industries that are most responsible for global emissions. Climate adaptation funding is urgently needed to help our communities survive in a future that will be characterised by frequent and severe droughts.
In the meantime, it is important to focus on emergency relief efforts to supply food and water to the most vulnerable rural communities. MEFT, in collaboration with other ministries and non-government partners have responded to this need through a major drought relief effort that includes wildlife culling. MEFT also revised payments under the Human-Wildlife Conflict Self-Reliance Scheme by increasing the amount of money paid for injuries, loss of life and damage to livestock and crops. Although these amounts do not cover the full cost of losses suffered, it at least helps people to bounce back after experiencing losses.
Apart from the government, funds from local and international organisations can be sourced to help communities adapt to climate change. Over the past years, climate-resilience projects like DAPP (Development Aid from People to People), CRAVE (Climate Resilient Agriculture in three of the Vulnerable Extreme northern crop-growing regions) and NILALEG (Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach for Enhancing Livelihoods and Environmental Governance to Eradicate Poverty) have assisted various communities with resources and training to adapt their farming practices and explore alternate livelihoods. Many more projects such as these will need to be implemented in the coming years.
Conclusion
As droughts become more frequent and severe due to climate change, Namibia’s CBNRM programme will need to become more resilient to ensure that livelihoods and natural resources are safeguarded during these difficult times. While this drought has been tough for our communities, it has also provided important lessons for CBNRM and the country as a whole that need to guide our collective efforts towards shaping a sustainable future for Namibia.
Blog by Trendy Masule