Improving livelihoods in the /Huibes conservancy

Ensuring sustainability
On 14 November, the minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta handed over an integrated wildlife and sustainable rangeland management system for improved livelihoods in the Hardap Region.
Monique Adams
    - 2022-11-18 00:00:00
The /Huibes conservancy lies about 120 kilometres southwest of Mariental. There are 220 households registered with the conservancy, of which most live in abject poverty. The total population is 750. Livestock farming and specifically small stock farming are the dominant activities for most households.
Hardap Region governor Salomon April gave his welcoming remarks and thanked the minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta for empowering the community.
The /Huibes conservancy is situated in the Daweb constituency and was funded with N$1.5 million under the Ecosystem Based Adaptation Investment window of the Empower to Adapt project, which is centered around creating climate change resilient livelihoods through community-based resource management in Namibia.
“It is in our best interest to foster conservation of our natural resources through community-based natural resource management systems, as established by the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism,” Shifeta said.
The project is aimed at enhancing climate change resilience of communities in the /Huibes landscape area through integrated farming systems. The project objectives include establishing livestock breeding and livestock revolving bank and enhancing community food security through backyard gardens and poultry production. To date, the project has established six backyard gardens and two hydroponic units for fodder production, while 292 goats - of which 10 are rams – have been procured for a small-stock breeding scheme.
Chicken feed and a feeder as well as 400 chickens will be distributed to identified households as well.