Wildlife Credits Namibia – An incentive to conserve

Wildlife Credits - Incentive to Conserve

…rewarding communities for their proactive protection of wildlife and wild places

Africa is magical...

Majestic wildlife, old-growth forests, stunning deserts, powerful rivers, and rich, diverse cultures. But, it will take more than magic to bring these back, if they are lost.The continent is home to one-third of the planet’s biodiversity, which is unique, valuable, and yet increasingly under threat. Loss of habitat, extreme droughts, cyclones, flash floods, over-extraction of resources and wildlife crime are some factors that threaten the survival of rare and endangered species. These issues also jeopardize the land they roam and the intrinsic, cultural and economic value they hold for rural communities, the Indigenous peoples of Africa and the global community.Yet only 3% of global biodiversity funding currently reaches the continent. Therefore, innovative financing mechanisms that reach the people who live with wildlife and are essential to the protection of wild places are urgently needed to protect these global treasures.Wildlife Credits Namibia is a payment for ecosystem services mechanism that acknowledges the essential role of communities within Namibia’s communal conservancies, community forests, and community fish reserves in protecting biodiversity and habitats. It is housed by the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN).

WILDLIFE CREDITS rewards communities for their proactive protection of wildlife and wild places. It pays for verifiable conservation results, creating long-term impact that benefits people and the planet.

Namibia's Conservation Success Story

Since gaining independence in 1990, Namibia has pioneered conservation innovation. The protection of the environment is enshrined in the country’s Constitution. In 1996, rural communities were provided the ability to benefit from the sustainable use of natural resources on their land through the establishment of communal conservancies.

Namibia currently has

registered communal conservancies

covering 20% of Namibia’s land

Approximately 30% of communal conservancies are adjacent to national parks, effectively expanding large landscape conservation areas that are critical in Namibia’s arid environment. As a result of these efforts, many wildlife species have begun to recover on communal land, where local communities value, monitor and protect them.

Namibia has the

largest free-roaming population

of black rhinos in the world

Namibia’s elephant population grew from around 7,600 to around

23,600

between 1995 and 2016

Wildlife Credits builds on this success, adding an additional level of community involvement, protection and accountability. It recognizes and credits the local and indigenous stewards on the ground who protect wildlife and wild places. Explore the various ways you can get involved with Wildlife Credits and support innovative conservation in action.

Paying for conservation successes

Wildlife Credits rewards communities for positive, verifiable conservation outcomes, including the expansion of range and populations of wildlife, the protection of wildlife corridors, and their efforts in combatting poaching.

» Learn more in this article: Wildlife Credits: Innovation in conservation by and for Namibians