Deadline: 25-Jul-25
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), through the Integrated Human-Wildlife Conflict and Wildlife Crime (HWC-WC) Management Project and with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is inviting applications for funding. Community groups, conservancies, and their implementing partners operating in areas identified as hotspots for human-wildlife conflict and wildlife crime are encouraged to apply in Namibia.
The primary goal of the Small Grants (SG) Scheme is to offer targeted financial assistance to these local actors. The grants are intended to promote sustainable livelihood diversification and support the construction or rehabilitation of fencing in buffer zones surrounding protected areas. These measures aim to enhance human-wildlife coexistence, reduce the prevalence of wildlife crime, and strengthen the adaptive capacities and resilience of rural communities living in proximity to conservation areas.
The grant scheme is structured around two main funding criteria. The first focuses on the diversification of livelihoods by supporting environmentally sustainable, income-generating activities. These projects aim to build climate-resilient communities and strengthen nature-based economies in regions grappling with human-wildlife conflict. The second criterion addresses the need for improved physical infrastructure through the rehabilitation or construction of buffer zone fencing around national parks. This measure is essential to prevent illegal entry into protected areas and reduce direct conflicts between humans and wildlife.
Under the livelihood diversification component, each selected project may receive up to USD 50,000. In exceptional cases, funding may go up to USD 150,000, pending approval by the Project Steering Committee. Projects focusing on buffer zone fencing are eligible for grants of up to USD 300,000.
Eligible activities under the livelihood diversification category include the development of nature-based tourism enterprises such as community-run lodges, craft markets, hiking trails, and campsites. Other activities include the establishment of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, climate-smart agriculture practices like chilli farming and agroforestry, bush-to-feed initiatives, water security solutions such as rainwater harvesting and filtration, and recycling projects.
For fencing-related grants, eligible activities include the rehabilitation or new construction of game-proof fencing along high-priority park boundaries. These projects are expected to engage local labor from adjacent communities, offering short-term employment opportunities and promoting skills development.
Eligibility for the livelihood diversification grants includes community groups managing income-generating enterprises under formal agreements with conservancies, NGOs and CSOs collaborating with conservancies, conservancies managing their own or joint enterprises, and joint venture operators open to revising contracts to increase benefits for communities.
Applicants for fencing grants must include conservancies bordering Etosha or Bwabwata National Parks (particularly Mahango Game Reserve), NGOs and CSOs with formal partnerships with local communities, and community-based organizations or labor cooperatives established with the support of conservancy leadership.
For more information, visit Ministry of Environment & Tourism.