GEF visits NAM-PLACE

NAM-PLACE recently received visitors from Global Environment Facility (GEF) who are on a drive to visit the sites/projects they fund. The main reason for the visit is to find out what impact their involvement yields in promoting sustainable environmental practices around the world. One of the NAM-PLACE sites visited was the Windhoek Greenbelt landscape, which boasts a number of interventions by the NAM-PLACE project. The project has assisted members of this landscape to continue with initiatives that were started a few years ago.

In an interview with the chairperson of the Windhoek Greenbelt Landscape, Johan Vaatz, he revealed a number of interventions that assisted members of the landscape in dealing with their immediate challenges. Some of the interventions from the project include a 7.2 km security fence to curb stock theft and illegal wildlife hunting within the landscape by nearby communities, two-way radio base stations for improved communication in the landscape, bush encroachment for improved rangeland management, water quality monitoring and management. To sustain the investment, the landscape with support from the project is developing the Khomas Hochland Hiking Trail.

As much as the members of the landscape had practiced responsible methods to conserve the environment, the project assistance came in at the right time for farmers. To carry out some of the funded activities independently would have proven very difficult due to the finances required.

The interview will be part of the GEF library and will perhaps be made available for public viewing at a later stage.