MET officially launches Maurus Nekaro Conservancy

RUNDU, 15 APR  – The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) on Saturday officially launched the Maurus Nekaro Conservancy in the Kavango West Region.
The conservancy is listed as the country’s 83rd communal conservancy and is the first in the Kavango West Region.
The conservancy is named after Maurus Nekaro, who served as the governor of Kavango Region from December 2010 until his death on 04 March 2013.
The area was declared a conservancy on 01 August 2017.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Pohamba Shifeta said Namibians adopted a number of innovative approaches to achieve bio-diversity in conservation within the framework of the national development plan.
“Through forming conservancies local communities gain rights over the wildlife that enable them to generate an income,” he noted.
Shifeta added that because of the commitment shown by Namibians, there has been recovery and increase of wildlife populations including key predator species, such as elephants and black rhinos.
He said the community-based natural resource management programme has also provided local communities with a number of incentives to manage natural resources such as wildlife sustainability.
The Kavango West Region, he said, is blessed with diverse unique plants and animals, wetland and beautiful natural landscapes thus the Maurus Nekaro Conservancy, together with the community-based natural resource management programme, would be a success in eradicating poverty in the region.
On his part, Chief of the Bunza in the Kavango West Region, Hompa Alfons Kaundu said the formation of this conservancy is beneficial to the local communities in terms of job creation.
He said the conservancy will attract a lot of tourists to the region due to its diverse wildlife.

NAMPA