Conservancies support thousands of livelihoods, and in 2025, these areas generated over N$ 109 million in revenue.

This was highlighted by Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel during the opening of the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) conference in Windhoek.

Currently, Namibia has 87 registered communal conservancies and 48 community forests, covering about 186,000 square kilometres—over 60% of communal land.

The Minister commended community game guards and forest committees for their dedication, noting that their efforts have led to wildlife recovery, including the return of elephants, cheetahs, and black rhinos.

Indileni Daniel highlighted that the CBNRM programme demonstrates that conservation and development can go hand in hand, contributing to job creation, income generation, and improved community livelihoods.

However, the Minister cautioned against complacency, pointing out challenges such as weak governance in some conservancies, limited benefit-sharing, human-wildlife conflict, and external pressures on Namibia’s conservation approach.

“We should not become obstacles to our own development. Yes, we need to respect our laws, and I therefore expect this conference to produce bold, practical, and actionable resolutions so that we can strengthen our policies, improve governance, and maximise benefits for the communities we serve.”

Partnerships and sustainable funding for the sector were also emphasised to ensure that the country’s developmental goals are achieved.

The conference is expected to play a key role in shaping future conservation strategies, as Namibia seeks to strengthen its globally recognised model.