necessary that mechanisms are created for rural communities and farmers to manage and benefit
from wildlife and other natural resources.
Therefore, in order to provide national guidelines for human-wildlife conflict mitigation, the MET
launched a Human Wildlife Conflict Policy in 2009, which was revised in 2018. While the policy
makes clear that wildlife is just that -wild, and a part of the natural environment - the Government
also recognises that living with wildlife carries a cost and that there is an urgent need to find
practical approaches and solutions to reduce the impacts of human-wildlife conflict, particularly in
areas with the most vulnerable communities in Namibia.
The national policy allows for the management of human-wildlife conflict in a way that recognises
the rights and development needs of local communities, recognises the need to promote
biodiversity conservation, promotes self-reliance and ensures that decision-making is quick,
efficient and based on the best available information. In order to address the impact of human-
wildlife conflict, the policy sets out several strategies which include research and monitoring;
integrated land use planning; removal of problem causing animals; appropriate technical solutions
for mitigating human-wildlife conflict; and application of revenues from problem causing animals
to address and prevent the losses of affected persons.
Levels and types of conflict
The level and type of human-wildlife conflict experienced varies throughout Namibia.
Conservancies west of Etosha National Park have generally reported more conflict incidents than
those in other areas. The species reported to cause the highest number of incidents in this period
are shown - note that this is not the amount of damage caused (e.g. livestock killed or crops
damaged), but the number of incidents reported. Spotted hyaena, cheetah (north-west) and
elephant (primarily northeast) conflict predominates in several conservancies. Crocodile conflict is
restricted to the perennial rivers in the north; black-backed jackal conflict is common in the south
and central; African wild dog conflict is most frequently reported in two conservancies in the east.
The remaining conflict-causing species are either the most frequently reported in only one
conservancy each (e.g. hippo, caracal, antelope), or in a few geographically scattered conservancies
(e.g. leopard, lion).
OFFSETTING LOSSES
Each year Namibia's communal conservancies collect data on the number of incidents reported by
community game guards. While the numbers are not verified, they do give an indication of the level
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