• Business 7

Enhancing livelihoods, biodiversity in the North

• 4 Months Ago - 2024-07-24 00:00:00

The journey of the Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach for Enhancing Livelihoods and Environmental Governance to Eradicate Poverty (NILALEG) project has always been a tale of resilience, hope and transformation.
Initiated as a six-year undertaking, this project aimed to transform landscape management and promote sustainable livelihoods in Namibia's agricultural and forest landscapes. Supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) alongside the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism (MEFT), NILALEG sought to tackle the interwoven challenges of poverty and environmental degradation.

Boreholes
In recent years, Namibia has grappled with severe droughts aggravated by climate change. The northern regions, particularly Kunene and Omusati, bore the impact of this crisis, with communities struggling to access clean and reliable water sources.
The scarcity of water had devastating effects on livelihoods and severe environmental degradation, particularly affecting women and young children who were often tasked with fetching water over long distances.
To address this critical issue, the NILALEG project, with technical support from the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), embarked on constructing 20 boreholes across the five target landscapes.
This intervention, funded at about N$14.1 million, aimed to provide potable water to more than 6 792 people, 805 households, and 34 289 livestock.
This effort not only met the immediate need for reliable water sources but also laid the groundwork for sustainable nature-based livelihoods.

Impact
The impact of these boreholes was nothing short of transformative.
Communities saw a significant improvement in their quality of life.
Schools in Omaiopanga and Okongo landscapes began planting vegetables, supplementing their meals and contributing to environmental restoration.
In Okongo, women and youth established a community garden, growing vegetables for both sale and household consumption.
This initiative provided a source of income and empowered community members to improve their livelihoods actively.
In Omaiopanga, multiple gardens were established, using water from a rehabilitated earth dam to irrigate crops.
These efforts demonstrated NILALEG’s holistic approach, integrating water infrastructure with agricultural activities to address environmental degradation and poverty comprehensively.

Omaoipanga: Omusati
Okatjandja Kozomenje Community Project: Located in Okorosave village, this project improved food security by providing affordable vegetables and fruits, enhancing nutrition and creating jobs.
An earth dam was rehabilitated to provide more water for crops.
Okovingava Community Tree Nursery Project: In Okovingava village, a tree nursery with 400 seedlings was established, benefiting 2 000 members of the Otjindjerese Conservancy.
Community Reseeding Sites: Ten 1-hectare sites were reseeded with perennial grass, benefiting over 3 000 conservancy members.
These sites protect grass from grazing during the rainy season and open for livestock during the dry season.

Ruacana: Kunene
Small Stock Revolving Scheme: This scheme provided 220 goats to 20 marginalised farmers, including people with disabilities and youth.
It included feed supplements and training in animal husbandry and livestock management.
Ongete Fodder Grass Seed-Bank Demonstration Site: This site planted high-value perennial fodder grass to improve rangeland conditions.
The harvested seeds would be sold locally, distributed to farmers, and used in landscape restoration projects.
Ongete Indigenous Tree Seedlings Nursery: Managed by the Etoto Farmers Association, this nursery aimed to produce indigenous tree seedlings to improve soil conditions and re-vegetate the landscape.
Horticultural crops were also introduced to boost production and enhance livelihoods.
Gabion Rehabilitation: In Ongete village, stone erosion gabions were built to slow water flow, trap sediment, and prevent gully expansion.
These efforts resulted in fertile soil filling the rehabilitated gully, retaining moisture, and supporting new vegetation growth.

Milestone
The official handover of these boreholes to the ministry of agriculture, water and land reform was held at the Ombambihaka village in Omusati recently and marked a significant milestone.
Emphasising sustainability, NILALEG established water point committees in the target landscapes to ensure the ongoing operation and maintenance of the water infrastructure.
It was essential for communities to take ownership, ensuring the proper management of these critical resources.
During a joint field monitoring visit earlier this month, representatives from the UNDP, MEFT and EIF reviewed the progress, achievements and challenges of the NILALEG project.
This visit aimed to assess the effectiveness of the integrated landscape management approach, evaluate the progress of low-value grants and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders.

Improved livelihoods
In his speech, delivered by executive director Teofilus Nghitila, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta explained that the provision of clean and potable water would improve livelihoods in the communities where the boreholes were installed.
UNDP resident representative Alka Bhatia highlighted the importance of sustainable resource management and the role of the NILALEG Project in achieving these goals.
She noted that the provision of water has enabled the communities to establish community nurseries and undertake tree-planting activities in schools.
Deputy executive director Elijah Ngurare, delivering a speech on behalf of agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, expressed gratitude for the support and emphasised the positive impact the boreholes would have on agricultural productivity and community well-being.
He committed to ensuring the proper maintenance and management of the boreholes.

Vital
Project officer Jonas Nghishidi noted that water scarcity is a critical issue in Namibia, affecting both human populations and agricultural productivity.
The provision of these boreholes is expected to significantly alleviate the burden on communities struggling with limited access to clean water and support the agricultural sector, which is vital to Namibia's economy.
As NILALEG progresses, it continues to demonstrate the power of integrated landscape management in transforming lives and protecting the environment.
The collaboration between UNDP, the Government of Namibia and local communities paves a sustainable path to eradicating poverty and fostering resilience against climate change. - United Nations Development Programme