| Overview : The Protected Areas Systems Strengthening (PASS) Project is a project of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Over the past years, the Government of the Republic of Namibia has established an impressive system of 21 state-managed Protected Areas (PAs) with a goal of protecting and conserving biological diversity. These efforts are complemented by a strong Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) through communal conservancies. To date, 44% of Namibia’s land area is under conservation management. Over the years, Namibia has been a beneficiary of substantial catalytic investment from other the GEF and other development partners whose support has resulted in the expansion and improved management effectiveness of the protected areas system. However, the protected areas funding gap remains, mostly due to recent expansion of the PA estate and emerging management challenges such as fire outbreaks and Namibia’s vulnerability to the increasing threat of poaching of key species such as elephants and rhinos. Weaknesses in revenue collection and at various entry points of the economic enforcement chain need to be urgently addressed to ensure Namibia’s response to these challenges is adequate. Specific interventions are also needed to reinforce the fire management response in protected areas. The project objective is to ensure that the Protected Area system of Namibia is strengthened and financed sustainably through improving current systems for revenue generation, introduction of innovative revenue generation mechanisms; and cost effective enforcement through application of the Enforcement Economics Model. |
