usaid/nambia environmental threats and opportunities assessment

2. SWOT OVERVIEW
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Extensive protective areas
Conducive policies and laws
Historically strong NGO and donor support
Committed community and private sector involvement
CBNRM considered successful
Wildlife has advantages (economic and environmental over livestock
Attractive landscapes, wide open spaces and good game viewing opportunities: high tourism value
Innovative vision for transboundary conservation
Management of wildlife in the hands of a cross-sector of society (NGOs, private sector, communities)
and the State.
Disparate political “Visions” for Namibia’s future with conservation given low status/inadequate
recognition of the value of wildlife/tourism sector at high political level
MET politically weak
Inadequate capacity within the MET and Conservancies
High degree of external donor support necessary
State Parks not placed strategically for the maximum protection of all biomes, biodiversity, and
endemic species
Inadequate control over poaching
Climate change
Turning Namibia’s PA patchwork into a PA landscape level network
Improved land use planning
Improving EIA guide and review capacity and practice
Building on the current CBNRM program
Integrating land reform with wildlife and conservation
The creation of honorary game wardens
Climate change
Sustainable financing for conservancies and human wildlife conflicts
Inadequate research capacity
Mining related environmental and social effects
Habitat loss through land degradation
Insecure tenure over some natural resources
Lack of adequate Land Use Planning
3. ANALYSIS OF MAJOR WEAKNESSES AND THREATS
THREAT: CONFLICTS IN LAND-USE, DISPARATE POLITICAL “VISIONS” FOR NAMIBIA’S FUTURE,
AND LOW STATUS OF MET
One of the most important challenges that faces CBNRM and conservation efforts in Namibia is that
wildlife and tourism are not sufficiently acknowledged as key development sectors by many high-level
decision makers. This results in widely disparate “visions” and conflicting land-uses as reflected in the
policy review (Section 3). Conflicts in land-use – even within national parks where mining activities and
agricultural activities 10 do occur – are usually not challenged by MET.
THREAT: CLIMATE CHANGE
The expected impacts of climate change on biodiversity conservation, protected areas, and the CBNRM
program (as reported in Turpie et al 2010 and NACSO 2010) include:
10 Examples include the ongoing mining activities in the Namib Park, Skeleton Coast Park, and many examples of negligence in
Caprivi, including the establishment of a prison farm at Bagani, various irrigation and agriculture schemes in Bwabwata Park,
the development of a military camp in the Kwando Triangle, and grazing of livestock in Mamili and Bwabwata Parks. In all
cases, these activities are contrary to the management plans that the MET drew up for the parks.
USAID/NAMIBIA ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSESSMENT 37