A three-day national conference to address the ongoing human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in Namibia opens on Wednesday in Windhoek, the country’s capital.
Opening the conference, Namibia’s Vice President, Nangolo Mbumba, stressed the need to prioritise development needs of local communities while making efforts to manage HWC.
Mbumba added the country must also promote biodiversity conservation and self-reliance.
To achieve these goals, he said they must develop appropriate mitigation and monitoring methods.
“We must also develop the capacity of all stakeholders to effectively manage such conflicts.
“Human-wildlife conflict is complex and thus requires multidimensional solutions.
“The impact of this conflict on people and their properties is a menace facing conservation agencies and institutions,” Mbumba said.
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Thirty-three people have died and 54 others injured due to HWC in Namibia since 2019, according to government statistics.
He, therefore, called on all citizens to work together to minimise losses and the impact caused by wild animals.
He praised the success of conservancies in the country.
According to him, thousands of citizens are benefiting from these successes through employment creation.
It has also encouraged the management of wildlife for commercial use on freehold farms, thus contributing to the conservation of wildlife species and maintenance of biodiversity.
The conference will proffer specific resolutions and actions towards implementing preventive and protective strategies for HWC management.
Its management will also establish mechanisms to provide compensation to affected parties whose family members die or are severely injured as a result of HWC.
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