Conservancies Association of Namibia (CANAM) was established ideally to represent all conservancies in Namibia, be they situated in rural or non-rural areas, in communal areas or on commercial farmland. The members of CANAM acknowledge the differences which exist in the practical implementation of the objects of different conservancies, but that is as far as the distinction goes.

CANAM defines a "Conservancy" as a legally protected area of a group of bona fide land-occupiers practicing co-operative management based on:

1. a sustainable utilisation strategy,
2. promoting conservation of natural resources and wildlife,
3. striving to re-instate the original bio-diversity with the basic goal of sharing resources amongst all members.

The overall goal of the Every River Has Its People project is to build the capacity of the Okavango basin residents to effectively participate in the planning and manage their natural resources, and to share experiences and lessons learned with other river basin communities and authorities.

The process of increasing the capacity of communities and other local stakeholders is a two-way one that could be described as co-learning, since the project uses the information gained for input into the materials and methods that are used for capacity building and for creating mechanisms of participation.

SGP is the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). In Namibia, the SGP is implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The goal of the SGP is to help find solutions to environmental problems worldwide.

The SGP provides funding to community-based projects in developing countries that:

• conserve the environment, while
• improving the livelihoods of rural communities and alleviating poverty, through
• sustainable activities, including income generating projects.

The SGP aims to help communities help themselves, by supporting projects that benefit the community and help to reduce damage to the natural environment.

The Integrated Community-Based Ecosystem Management (ICEMA) Project is designed to support activities within the larger framework of a national Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme.

The CBNRM Programme in Namibia is based on policy and a legal framework which grants rights over wildlife and tourism management to communities on their lands once they are organised as "conservancies". Conservancies are multiple-use zones with legal status, registered with the authorities (Ministry of Environment and Tourism), where residents currently continue farming but collectively manage wildlife in order to benefit both from better natural resource management practice, and from capturing tourism and natural resource revenues.

The NACOMA Project is a 5 year project which was officially launched in March 2006. NACOMA is co-funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN). It is being implemented by the GRN (through the National Planning Commission) and the World Bank on behalf of GEF.

The NACOMA project is part of the GRN's strategy to promote sustainable economic development in the coastal zone and address its local, regional, national and global environmental responsibilities.

The overall goal of the Country Pilot Partnership on Sustainable Land Use Management Programme (CCP) is to reduce and reverse the process of land degradation in Namibia thus delivering significant benefits to local communities.

The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)

Under the guiding principle of "three countries, one river" Angola, Botswana and Namibia established OKACOM as a unique entity in 1994 to promote coordinated and environmentally sustainable regional water resources development, while addressing the legitimate social and economic needs of each of the riparian states.

The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) aims to effectively conserve the biodiversity in the Succulent Karoo ecosystem in Namibia and manage the state and civil society through an integrated programme of conservation action and co-management of conservation areas for the sustainable development of the region and for the improvement of peoples livelihoods. SKEP targets civil society actively engaged in conservation activities that contribute to the biodiversity conservation targets of the Sperrgebiet as a geographical priority area for the Succulent Karoo.

The vision of SKEP is that "The people of the Succulent Karoo take ownership of and enjoy their unique living landscape in a way that maintains biodiversity and improves livelihoods now and in perpetuity".

Namibian Environmental Education Network (NEEN) is dedicated to actively supporting and promoting National environmental and EE initiatives. It encourages networking with all sectors of the Namibian society, in a non-competitive nature. Through EE practices and processes, the development and implementation of EE policies and programmes in Namibia, are enhanced. NEEN envisions greater environmental literacy amongst all Namibia Citizens, who will wisely and ethically manage their resources to ensure long-term environmental sustainability.

Namibia Nature Foundation is a member of OneWorld, a web portal dedicated to sustainable development.

Sidewinder Films provides funding to the Namibia Nature Foundation for small project support.

Rare and Endangered Species Trust of Namibia (REST) is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species in Namibia, with a special emphasis on the Cape Griffon Vulture.

Eco Awards Namibia programme aims to answer the question of how to ensure that environment-friendly companies are rewarded within the economic system. The eco awards Namibia programme was introduced in Namibia at the end of last year - sponsored by the Ministry for Environment and Tourism, supported by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and financed by the Namibia Development Tourism Programme (NTDP) of the European Union. The eco awards Namibia will be a mark of distinction for accommodation establishments which are planned and managed according to eco-friendly principles.

Contact: Wolfgang Schenck

The National Forest Programme Facility is a funding mechanism and an information initiative created in response to recent intergovernmental dialogue on forests which recognises the essential role of national forest programmes (nfps) in addressing forest sector issues.