HWCM - Ministry of Environment and Tourism

National Workshop on Human Wildlife Conflict Management 2005
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM
Tel: (09 264 61) 284 2111 Private Bag 13306
Fax: (09 264 61) 229936
Windhoek
Namibia
16 May 2005
Background Note on the Human Wildlife Conflict
Management (HWCM) Workshop 16/17 May 2005
On behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), I cordially welcome you to the
Human Wildlife Conflict Management Workshop 2005.
Namibia’s internationally-acclaimed Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM)
approach, including the Communal Conservancy Programme, is working towards restoring the
link between conservation and rural development and achieving biodiversity conservation within
the framework of national development plans including Vision 2030 and poverty reduction
strategies.
The commitment shown by Namibians has led to the remarkable recovery and increase of wildlife
populations. Despite this success, the MET recognises that living with wildlife often carries a
cost, with increased wildlife populations and expanded ranges into communal and commercial
farming areas resulting in more frequent conflicts between people and animals, particularly
elephants and predators, in many areas. This has resulted in livestock and crop losses and, in
some instances, loss of human lives.
MET offices across Namibia have reported intensifying problems and incident reports relating to
human wildlife conflict. Measures are urgently needed to mitigate the conflict and increase the
benefits of living alongside wildlife.
Innovative mechanisms have been created to reduce the level of human-wildlife conflict, to
ensure that the benefits of conservation management by far outweigh the costs, and to build on
the significant successes already achieved. The MET seeks to develop an HWCM policy that will
influence the way in which this problem is quickly and effectively addressed.
This problem is not unique to Namibia, and other African countries are also working on creating
innovative ways of addressing HWCM. Namibia hopes to draw on successes and lessons learned
by other countries, while developing a uniquely Namibian approach to the problem. Through this
workshop we will have the opportunity to hear from a number of renowned international experts
about HWCM techniques throughout the region.
9