Climate threat serious in Namibia
More investment needed
By 2030 about US$500 million a year in climate investment in Namibia will be needed while the current levels are estimated at only US$100 million.According to an Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) report on their journey with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), climate change poses a serious threat to ecosystems, natural resources, and the communities that depend on them, while undermining progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The EIF was one of the first institutions to access the GCF through the “direct access” modality, whereby developing country institutions can access funds without international intermediation. Since 2016, four GCF projects were approved for total funding amounting to about US$40 million.
The projects aim to build a strong relationship with the National Designated Authority (NDA), as this is crucial to ensuring that the direct access entity can effectively advance national climate change priorities.
Comprehensive stakeholder engagement is key during project development to cultivate a strong project and to enable smooth implementation, as well as investing in building a strong relationship with the GCF Secretariat to ensure a smooth and timely engagement.
The approved projects in Namibia are Climate Resilient Agriculture in three of the Vulnerable Extreme northern crop-growing regions (CRAVE) and Empower to Adapt: Creating Climate-Change Resilient Livelihoods through Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Namibia. The other projects focus on Improving Rangeland and Ecosystem Management Practices of Smallholder Farmers under Conditions of Climate Change in Sesfontein, Fransfontein and Warmquelle, and Building resilience of communities living in landscapes threatened under climate change through an ecosystems-based adaptation approach.