Namibia awards grants for rural communities to respond to climate change

WINDHOEK, June 11  — The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia on Tuesday awarded 19 grants valued at about 5.8 million U.S. dollars for measures to help rural communities respond to climate change.

Speaking at the grant handover ceremony, Namibian President Hage Geingob said the projects are expected to impact up to 58,000 beneficiaries, including small-scale farmers and natural resource users.

“In the process, they will create about 200 job opportunities and serve as a platform for rural economic emancipation to more than 36 small and medium enterprises in 33 constituencies,” said Geingob.

Geingob said Namibia has experienced five consecutive years of below normal rainfall, with the 2018/19 season described as one of the worst seasons in decades.

“More than 700,000 people are estimated to be food insecure in the lean season. This has resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency on account of drought, as a natural disaster in all regions of Namibia,” he added. – XINHUA