Land use, wildlife, tourism & conservancies

THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE THAT THIS REPORT CONVEYS IS : VISION 2030 THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE THAT THIS REPORT CONVEYS IS : by capitalising on Namibia’s comparative advantages and providing appropriate incentives to use our natural resources in the most efficient ways possible, we will be in a better position to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous future for all Namibians – to 2030 and beyond.

WHAT ARE NAMIBIA’S COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES ? VAST OPEN SPACES AND WILDERNESS AREAS ABUNDANT AND DIVERSE BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE POPULATIONS that are well adapted to Namibia’s harsh climatic and physical conditions, and have extremely high direct & indirect use value. UNCONTAMINATED MEAT AND FISH PRODUCTS Rich CULTURAL diversities and valuable TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE Efficient SERVICE Industries

Returns to different land-uses the main input is getting the policy environment right Indigenous species systems Rainfall (land productivity) Benefits Higher financial returns from indigenous species management in lower rainfall areas Higher financial returns from exotic species management in areas of high rainfall & soil fertility Exotic species systems Policy failures drive down value of indigenous species Subsidies (e.g. in agriculture) drive up value of exotic species management

State Parks 13.7 m ha Communal Conservancies 10.5 m ha Freehold Conservancies 4.3 m ha Hunting farms 3.5 m ha Private Reserves 0.5 m ha

Small scale cereal & livestock ± 5.5 million ha People 2.1 million Goats 2.4 million Sheep Cattle Wildlife 2.0 million + Cattle ± 31 million ha State parks 4% Communal 8% Freehold 88% Intensive agriculture 0.04 million ha Small stock ± 27 million ha

Land prices bordering National Parks Farming N$200/ha Wildlife/ tourism N$600+/ha Farming N$35/ha Wildlife/ tourism N$300/ha Farming N$40/ha Wildlife/ tourism N$150/ha

- financial results: Karas region Best returns on land - financial results: Karas region Item Communal livestock Freehold livestock Tourism Financial gross income per hectare (N$) 4.71 15.00 165.00 Net cash income per hectare (N$) 0.93 0.48 23.00 Livelihoods income (N$) 1.08 3.27 19.00 Financial rate of return 5.5% 9.8% 12.9%

Agricultural production Indigenous biodiversity-based production Commodity Output value (million N$) Commercial Communal Cattle 637.1 5.8 Small stock (sheep & goats) 285.1 Other livestock (pigs, dairy. karakul, hides & skin) 258.2 Crops (cereals, grapes, etc) 188.7 154.5 Other agriculture 290.0 Construction for agriculture 59.0 TOTAL 1,878.4 Commodity Output value (million N$) Trophy hunting 316.0 Live game sales 14.3 Wildlife viewing 2,700.0 Fuel wood sales 63.0 Charcoal 75-100 Selected plant products 21.6 TOTAL 3,200

National level N$1,878 million N$3,200 million Total gross annual output of whole agricultural sector (large & small stock, and crops) – commercial and subsistence sectors N$1,878 million Total gross annual output of non-agricultural natural resource based “sector” ( tourism, trophy hunting, wildlife products, indigenous plant products, etc i.e. indigenous biodiversity) – commercial sector only N$3,200 million Indigenous biodiversity production systems have overtaken agricultural production systems and exceed them by a factor of two

Raises the following: Wildlife, tourism and other indigenous biodiversity production systems are now the most economically important forms of land use in Namibia Farming will never make people and countries rich - wildlife, tourism, etc have the demonstrated potential to create much more wealth, jobs, improve livelihoods, skills development, etc Does the MET as the lead agency have the vision, philosophy and right mindset to lead the huge future growth in this sector (sufficient understanding of economics and markets), or at least, not to hinder the growth potential?

The vegetation of Namibia Of 28 major vegetation types, 16 are not adequately covered in protected areas . . . The vegetation of Namibia The epehemeral rivers also receive little protection from parks

Biological Diversity

Endemics

Wetlands

44 communal conservancies

Looks very nice but …… …. only 0.63% of the indigenous biodiversity production sector is earned by communal conservancies !!!!!!!! Why ? - management, access to markets, resource rights Solution? - improve management, intensify production systems, closer links and partnership with private sector policy reform by MET – far greater devolution - MET mindset change – to economics & markets