Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism has received N$186.5 million (€11.9 million) from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The money will go toward fighting land degradation and creating conservation tourism opportunities.
Speaking at the sixth annual assembly of the GEF in Vietnam, Namibia’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, said the funding was made available to developing countries to meet the objectives of international environmental conventions.
The GEF unites 183 countries, together with private institutions, civil society organisations and international institutions, to address global environmental issues through the support of national sustainable development initiatives.
Shifeta said the money would be divided between key areas, with the largest portion going to combat land degradation, while biodiversity management and climate change mitigation would also be addressed.
He added that the GEF planned to make wildlife-based tourism a focus during the next year: “This will include interventions to mitigate the cost of living with wildlife being borne by communities as well as interventions to enhance the benefaction of communities from the tourism sector.”
