Namibia Human Wildlife Conflict Policy

Goal: Reduce HWC incidents from roughly 5,000/year to under 1,000 by 2026, while balancing biodiversity conservation with the rights and livelihoods of rural communities. Key principles: The state won't create a compensation scheme for wildlife-caused losses but will offer other offsetting measures; conflict management is a shared responsibility across government, citizens, and stakeholders; self-reliance and quick, evidence-based decision-making are prioritized. Twelve core strategies structure the policy, including: research and standardized monitoring/early-warning systems; land-use planning and duty-of-care obligations; building MET's human capacity and rapid-response units; community engagement via CBNRM/conservancies; devolved authority to destroy problem-causing animals quickly and safely; technical mitigation tools (kraals, electric fencing, chili fences, alternative water points); disaster-risk integration for droughts/floods; channeling revenue from problem-animal hunting/culling back to affected communities; support for protected-area neighbors; and public awareness campaigns. Notable schemes: A "Human Wildlife Conflict Self Reliance Scheme" sets fixed payment rates (not compensation) for livestock losses, crop damage, injuries, and funeral costs after human deaths, applicable on state/resettlement land but not private land. The policy also proposes eventually replacing this with a formal insurance scheme. Implementation: Annexes provide detailed guidelines for delegating authority to destroy problem animals, decision-making frameworks, and a costed action plan (2018–2019) assigning strategies to MET with support from NACSO, GIZ, MLR, NGOs, and development partners, totaling hundreds of millions of Namibian dollars.