News
Land degradation programme launched
The Country Pilot Partnership (CPP) for Integrated Sustainable Land Management (ISLM) Programme.
CPP-ISLM is a joint initiative between the Ministries of Environment & Tourism, Agriculture Water & Forestry, Lands & Resettlement, Regional, Local Government & Housing and the National Planning Commission, UNDP and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), with the NNF as the main implementing partner. Its aim is to fight land degradation to enable Namibia to reach its Millennium Development Goal number 7, which is environmental sustainability.
This is a 10 year programme, and in the first 5 years, the CPP-ISLM will seek to promote good practices to reverse land degradation, both by building up national and regional institutions and professionals, and by promoting best practices in the most affected areas. The first phase of the programme will target the Kavango, Caprivi, Otjozondjupa and Oshana regions, working at a very local level with communities, their respective authorities and local support organisations.
Land degradation in Namibia is an increasing problem and poses a great challenge to rural livelihoods. The Government of Namibia (GRN) realises this is a serious issue which demands remedial intervention. Five government ministries (Ministry of Environment & Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Forestry, Ministry of Lands & Resettlement, Ministry of Regional, Local Government & Housing and the National Planning Commission) have agreed, in conjunction with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the NNF, to overcome various barriers by spearheading a Country Pilot Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Land Management (CPP).
The goal of the CPP is "to combat land degradation using integrated cross-sectoral approaches which enable Namibia to reach its #7 Millennium Development Goal 'environmental sustainability' and assure the integrity of dryland ecosystems and ecosystem services". The main objectives are to build and sustain capacity at systemic, institutional and individual levels, ensuring cross-sectoral and demanddriven coordination and implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) activities; as well as to identify cost-effective, innovative and appropriate SLM methods which integrate environmental and economic objectives.
The first phase of the project (September 2008 to December 2009) will focus on the Kavango, Caprivi, Omusati and Otjozondjupa regions. The NNF will be working closely with implementing partners IRDNC, the NNF / Every River Project office in Rundu as well as with NDT. The project funding for this first phase will amount to U$975,600.
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Joseph Iita, MME; Lindiwa Shapwa, MLR; Chris Brown, Namibia Nature Foundation; Simon Nhongo, UN Resident Coordinator; Sophie Kasheeta, MAWF; Mocks Shivute, NPC; Kalumbi Shangula, MET; Simwanza Simenda, MRLGHRD |
[7 October 2008]