HWCM - Ministry of Environment and Tourism

National Workshop on Human Wildlife Conflict Management 2005
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Revisiting the 2001 Workshop
Leeverty Muyoba, MET
Good morning ladies and gentlemen
Building on a regional workshop held in Caprivi in July 2001, the Ministry of Environment and
Tourism (MET) organised a national workshop as a first step to address the human/wildlife
conflict, especially within the conservancies. It was attended by a wide range of stakeholders
including MET, traditional authorities, conservancies and NGOs.
The workshop was the first time that issues concerning human and wildlife conflict were
discussed with representation from most of the communal area conservancies in Namibia.
International experts from the region were also invited to give presentations on the value of
wildlife for tourism and hunting and of the efforts that have been made to address the
human/wildlife conflict.
The workshop participants identified elephants as the most important human/wildlife conflict
species. Other important species included lion, hyena, cheetah, jackal, hippo and crocodile. The
main conflicts caused by elephants included damage to crops and infrastructure and threats to
human life. The main conflicts caused by carnivores are loss of livestock. Through acknowledging
the inappropriateness of the term, the workshop also produced a definition of ‘problem animal’.
A number of policy and technical management options were identified as a means to address the
human/wildlife conflict in conservancies. These included the need for a review of current MET
policy and procedures for human/wildlife conflict management in conservancies, with the proviso
that the appropriate checks and balances were put in place. A special insurance scheme was
identified as potentially being able to service this need. The importance of trans-boundary
management and land-use planning were acknowledged, as well as the need for farmers to
provide better infrastructure and management for the protection of their livestock and crops.
With regard to a plan of action to take this initiative forward, a working group was elected that
included representation from the participating conservancies, the Tribal authorities, MET staff and
the Namibian Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Programme, nongovernmental
organisations (IRDNC, NACSO, RISE and WWF-LIFE). After completion and
dissemination of the workshop findings, the next step identified was to meet with MET Head
Office staff. We can now look forward to a fruitful discussion of these important issues with the
wide range of stakeholders we have gathered here today and tomorrow.
Questions and Answers
Discussions followed concerning the slow progress since the last meeting. Input from both
meetings would be used to draft the Regulations for the Parks and Wildlife Act, which will
hopefully be passed later this year. Participants indicated that an action plan should be developed
at the current workshop.
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