Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, gave an overview in parliament on the new increases in payments to Namibians affected by human-wildlife conflict.
The environment minister explained that human-wildlife conflict is a national issue that the government, through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT), is committed to addressing by finding lasting and sustainable solutions to prevent and reduce the conflict while improving the livelihoods of people, and at the same time conserving biodiversity for the sustainable use and economic benefit of the country.
“Human-wildlife conflict in Namibia has become more frequent and severe over recent decades due to human population growth, wildlife population growth, unplanned agricultural activities, and the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities, which together have led to increased human encroachment on previously wild and uninhabited areas. A National Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict Management was held in May 2023, and one of the resolutions of the conference was to increase the payments under the Human-Wildlife Conflict Self-Reliance Scheme,” Shifeta said.
The minister added that the anticipated impact of the increase will be to effectively support communities, individuals, and farmers who suffer losses and damages caused by wild animals through the revised offset payments.
