Johannesburg — The World Bank this week approved a US $7.1 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant to Namibia for scaling up community-based ecosystem management to the benefit of rural people.

The grant is a part of a total amount of US $32.43 million intended for the project. With contributions from the Namibian government, the French GEF, USAID, and the German development bank, KfW, making up the balance.

"The project will help conserve and restore ecosystems services in some of the most critical habitats found on communal lands, while promoting sustainable use for income generation throughout Namibia's communal conservancy network, which covers currently some 29 registered conservancies with 150,000 residents across 75,000 square kilometers," the World Bank's sector manager for Southern Africa, Rick Scobey, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The five-year initiative to improve rural livelihoods, promote sustainable environmental management, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use will run as part of Namibia's "Community Conservancy" programme.

The project encompasses the development of community-based tourism facilities, including joint ventures with the private sector, trophy hunting, game meat production, the commercialisation of indigenous plants and craft production.