MET rejects damning conservation probe on technicalities

ELLANIE SMITWINDHOEKAn investigation by two environmental journalists into Namibia’s wildlife management policies and programmes has been labelled as illegal and unethical by the environment and tourism ministry.It has dismissed all allegations made in the report authored by Dr Adam Cruise and Izzy Sasada, who published a report after a two-month field investigation of 29 conservancies across Namibia.The report, titled ‘Investigation into Namibia’s conservation model’, claims that the success of conservation in the country and the economic benefits for poor rural communities are largely a fabrication.The spokesperson for the environment ministry, Romeo Muyunda, yesterday told Namibian Sun that the research was done without a work permit issued by the home affairs ministry, nor was a research permit issued to the two journalists form the Commission of Research.He said the ministry was still determining whether they had entered the country as tourists.Muyunda further said that people who were quoted in the report did not give their permission.“This was illegally conducted. It is unethical research that was conducted and interviews were biased towards the sustainable use of hunting.”He pointed out that the report does not state the sample size of the people who were interviewed and that only certain groups were selected for the research.“This research was biased to feed their own agenda.”Conservancies a failureAccording to the report the field investigation and analysis concluded that the “perceived success of wildlife conservation and concomitant economic benefits for previously disadvantaged rural communities in Namibia is found to be grossly misrepresented.”It said that in many areas, particularly in the community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) dominated Kunene Region, wildlife populations of many species are declining.The report adds that in other areas across the northern region, elephant populations and movements have likewise been adversely affected due to trophy hunting, own-use hunting, poaching and trade.“Throughout the entire northern region, and especially within the 29 CBNRM conservancies visited during this investigation, human communities remain impoverished to the same extent, and in some cases more so, than during South African apartheid rule prior to independence.”It said the investigation revealed that the exploitation of rural communities and indigenous peoples, and the removal of natural resources, are taking place in the form of land invasion and expropriation, wildlife over-utilisation, mining, oil drilling, logging and other natural resource appropriation.“Thus, far from being a success-story, Namibia’s much-touted wildlife conservation model, and its adherence to sustainable utilisation of wildlife through community-based management has, in fact, achieved the opposite of what is commonly presented. Overall wildlife numbers are declining, and elephant populations in the Kunene Region are collapsing, while rural communities within the CBNRMs are as impoverished as ever, in many cases, more so.”Ministry deniesMuyunda stressed that Namibia’s conservation model is reputable and claims made that communities have not benefited from the programme is baseless.“They did not even look at the benefits gained from the programme, but chose to select a few people to feed their agenda.”He said the conservancy programme has improved the lives of people in the rural areas through infrastructure, education, nutritional needs amongst others.“But they did not highlight this. We are not disputing that there is still poverty. But the programme has reduced poverty levels. There is still a long way to go, but we must also remember that this is not the duty of the conservancy programme alone, but a multi-sectoral approach.”Muyunda said that it should also be remembered that tourism has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and that conservancies have been heavily affected. Community conservancies facilitated 4 203 jobs in 2019, while community conservation and private sector partners generated N$155.6 million in returns and benefits during 2019.With regard to declining levels of wildlife, especially elephants, he said that wildlife has been impacted by drought in the Kunene Region but elsewhere numbers are thriving.He also noted the fact that the method, by doing ground research, to determine elephant numbers was not systematic.“Should they have used aerial surveys as well their research would have been more accurate.”It is estimated that Namibia has about 24 000 elephants, with a population growth rate of 5.3%. ellanie@namibiansun.com

MET rejects damning conservation probe on technicalities

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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MET rejects damning conservation probe on technicalities

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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