Staff Reporter
THE Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), through the Improving Rangeland and Ecosystem Management (IREMA) Project, has donated firefighting equipment valued at N$375,000 to farmers’ associations in the Kunene Region.
EIF spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, in a statement issued on Sunday, said that the donation includes 11 mobile firefighting pumps/machines and 90 fire beaters.
He indicated that these have been distributed to the Groetberg, Khorixas, and Kamanjab Farmers’ Associations, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR).
Muyunda explained that this initiative is part of the IREMA Project’s ongoing interventions to prevent and manage veld fires, which remain a serious threat to grazing land, livelihoods, and the environment in the region.
“Preventing veld fire damage is a critical component of the project’s broader goal of rangeland restoration and sustainable management,” he said.
He added that in previous years, EIF, through the IREMA Project, also supported the development and maintenance of fire cutlines in the Kunene Region, reinforcing long-term fire prevention measures.
Hence, he said that the provision of the new firefighting equipment further empowers local farmers’ associations to safeguard grazing resources and strengthen community resilience to climate change.
He stressed that they remain committed to supporting communities with practical solutions that advance sustainable rangeland management, climate change adaptation, and ecosystem restoration.
The IREMA Kunene Project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by EIF in partnership with MAWLR, focuses on the Sesfontein, Fransfontein, and Warmquelle areas of the Kunene Region.
