Three decades of work in Namibia have shown that when people and communities have legally recognized rights to sustainably manage and benefit from natural resources, and, most importantly, have ownership and pride of these resources, conservation outcomes are enhanced.

Still, challenges remain. They include increasing conservation and development needs; insufficient skills and resources to effectively address them; disincentives for good governance and good management that lead to weak conservation performance and effect; lack of economic sector coordination and cohesion; and competing land uses systems and mechanisms that do not allow conservancies, indigenous people, and local communities to equitably benefit from sustainable natural resource management.

Addressing these challenges and delivering on the conservation and development needs and aspirations of the country, WWF will continue its long-term engagement and support to communities, and expand its focus to include working to enhanced stewardship in: (i) communal conservancies, (ii) protected areas and (iii) freehold farms.