Land Rehabilitation, Restoration, Fertility Management

Tested Techniques in DRM, Namibia

MAWF, MET, MME, MLR, MRLGHRD, NPCS, OPM UNDP, WB, GEF OUTLINE

1. NATIONAL VISION 2030 2. ENABLING ENVIROMENT 3. DROUGHT RESPONSES 4. CAPACITY GAPS 5. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Legal framework for natural resources management VISION 2030 THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE THAT THE VISION CONVEYS IS THAT: by capitalising on Namibia’s comparative advantages and providing appropriate incentives to use our natural resources in the most efficient way possible, we will be in a better position to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous future for all Namibians – to 2030 and beyond! Good Match: Namibia’s Development Framework

. Industrialised country by 2030 . Substantially reformed agriculture sector . “...direct use of biodiversity ...grows, ...indirect uses ...(e.g. Ecosystem functions...) are of even greater value and underpin our survival” . “There is no conflict between using natural resources and the notion of conservation”

NDP4 . Overall goal: “high and sustained economic growth, job creation and increased income equality.

4 Enabling Environment in support of DRM Recurrent climatic extremes What is disaster drought? Relative phenomenon which refers to exceptionally low rainfall conditions. It is something to be expected and managed. The rare occasions when conditions are so severe or prolonged that they are beyond what can reasonably be dealt with in terms of normal risk management practices, and when State intervention is considered justified

Namibia is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, experiences more years of below-average than above- average rainfall Impact of Drought

1. Impact on the Economy The GRN of Namibia has set aside a budget (USD 20.1 mil) for drought relief and recovery schemes for its citizen.  The government has re-channel some development budget to deal with drought.

2. Impact on Agriculture Production

 Communal area mostly affected on crop failure, livestock deaths Food security loss for the communities. Income loss for farmers. Legal framework on DRM 3. Environment and Wildlife Land degradation has been a serious issue in Namibia over the years. Although interventions are being made to reduce it, drought conditions have contributed to its impact.

4. Hydrology and Geo-hydrology Water availability has become a serious concern with rivers, dams and underground water dry out

. Key stakeholders in DRM

OPM

Communities MAWF

MLR MRLGHRD

Drought Management

UNICEF MOHSS

UNFPA MoD

UNDP Lessons on DRM

- Diversification of incomes for communities, avoid dependencies on agriculture production – Using drought tolerant crops e.g. Okashana 1, 2 – Construction of earth dams – Roof tops rainwater harvesting systems for storage of water – Borehole drilling

Adaptation Strategies to DRM – Crop management and Conservation agriculture practices • Research seed production • Implement support • Subsidizing seeds, tractors and fertilisers

– Rangeland management: • Subsidizing of lease of grazing, transports to grazing areas • Livestock marketing schemes ( incentives) • Local level monitoring

– Bush control techniques • Biomass energy production

Sustainable tourism development

– CBNRM: Use of protected areas as engines of rural development, the granting of tourism concessions to conservancies, wildlife translocations to conservancies, – expanding private sector investment in communal areas and the promotion of eco- and cultural tourism.

Forum for Integrated Natural Resource Management

– Allows communities to have ownership and leadership of development priorities in their hands – They identify their own problems and proposed solutions. – Coordination of service organization and CBO to achieve communities developmental goals – RC, (CDCs), MEATCO, NFU; DEES, DOF, DRWS, UNDP, MET, NNF,NDT.

Linking the national and local levels

National level National/regional monitoring system(s) decision making

Scientific Stakeholders community

Local level Local decision monitoring system(s) making Sustainable livestock management

• Guided by the National Rangeland policy, through Forums for Integrated Land Management, Local Level Monitoring, Planned Grazing through Herding amongst others on communal land. • Farmers monitor livestock grazing quality, classification of their conditions and recoding the rainfall data to improve their livestock production yield. • Assist farmers to understand and implement the principles of sound rangeland and livestock management • The promotion of indigenous breeds such as sagas and cross-breeding are other options that can improve land management and facilitate adaptation to climate change

Integrated Water Resource Management:

• Guided by the National Water Act, this approach to water resources management at local level to improve water management through Basin Management Committee • Improvement in communities participation in water and natural resources management and decision making.

• Water harvesting and conservation using roof tops and dam construction

Conservation Agriculture:

• Concept for resource saving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained productivity levels while concurrently conserving the environment” • Conservation farming uses basic principles such as minimum disturbance of the soil; keeping the soil covered; mixing and rotating cops • Improve agricultural management for crop production • Reduces soil erosion result of deforestation and overgrazing

Challenges and Capacity gaps

•Communal area rangeland management, as the set up is common access to resources, difficult to implement the rangeland management system •Responses to drought in terms of changing seed varieties that are flood tolerant to drought tolerant crops • Farmers understanding of DRM phases especially the Preparedness of farmers to drought

Challenges and Capacity gaps

•Policy Implementation by all stakeholders is poor •Poor coordination of activities to respond to disaster ( drought) •National drought task force (functional) but require more capacity to function fully •Regional forums requires technical capacity to implement at regional and local level

•Vast Namibia area- not all areas are reached for support and capacity building on DRM •Limited capacity to carry out detail need assessment •Limited monitoring capacity

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