Namibia for Life
Sustaining communities and wildlife through lasting conservancy support
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People and wildlife sharing Namibia’s landscapes
In Namibia’s vast landscapes, communities and wildlife share space. These landscapes support more than 283,000 people who live alongside desert-adapted elephants, rhinos, lions, and other iconic species. Though not without its challenges, Namibia’s remarkable network of self-governed communal conservancies has made it possible for people in rural areas across the country to manage wildlife sustainably, generating vital local revenue while driving remarkable recoveries for threatened species.
Today, 87 communal conservancies cover about 40 million acres—an area larger than the state of Georgia. Namibia for Life builds on this conservation success, ensuring thriving communities can safeguard wildlife and generate sustainable incomes.
And, the initiative is designed to grow, with the ability to support up to 100 conservancies covering up to 50 million acres.
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Building a conservation legacy for people and nature
Launched in 2026, Namibia for Life provides reliable, lasting support to communal conservancies so they can sustain and build on decades of success revitalizing iconic wildlife populations by strengthening their self-governing capacities. It will invest in sustainable rural livelihoods through various mechanisms, including an innovative Socio-Economic Development Fund (SEDF), directing critical capital to nature-based community businesses that reinforce conservation.
Namibia for Life is the first Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative in Africa. PFP is an approach that secures policy changes and lasting financial resources needed to make conservation permanent and effective long after initial funds have been spent. The goal is simple but powerful: protect nature and ensure the people who steward and depend on it continue to thrive. Namibia for Life is a $63 million initiative, supported by a broad coalition of public and private partners, and includes an endowment fund that will ensure support for sustainable finance mechanisms for communities in perpetuity.
With additional investments from the Green Climate Fund (GCF)—through the Climate Resilient Enduring Earth (CREE) initiative—and other partners, the fund has the potential to increase to more than $75 million.
Impact at a glance
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87 communal conservancies
And 4 community associations currently supported
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Up to 50 million acres
Permanently conserved by up to 100 conservancies
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283,000 people
Supported through capacity building and technical assistance
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7x increase
In desert lion populations since 1995
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More than 20% of the country
Under communal conservancy management
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$4 million
In initial investments in community enterprises
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When communities lead, nature thrives
Since gaining independence in 1990, Namibia has been a global leader in community conservation, becoming the first country in the world to include environmental protection and community rights in its constitution. Namibia for Life secures conservancies as the engine of the country’s conservation success, supporting communities who have used their traditional knowledge to bring wildlife populations back from the brink of extinction.
The results are clear: Only a few hundred black rhinos could be found in Namibia in 1990. Now, Namibia is home to the second-largest black rhino population in the world. Namibia’s elephant population has quadrupled, and desert-dwelling lion numbers have increased sevenfold since 1995. Conservancies not only provide space for wildlife but also connect with more that 70% of Namibia’s state-protected areas, expanding the country’s contribution to conservation.
Strong communities, strong conservation
In Namibia's rural areas, communal conservancies are the backbone of both conservation and local development. They protect wildlife and landscapes while creating opportunities for people who live alongside them. Making conservation last requires more than conservation alone; it depends on steady support that helps communities manage their resources, grow local economies, and live well alongside wildlife.
Many of these communities were hit hard when travel came to a halt during the pandemic, so supporting a wider diversity of local sustainable businesses while strengthening tried-and-true enterprises can help them better weather future economic shifts. By investing in people as stewards of the land, Namibia for Life ensures that conservation works for communities, for wildlife, and for the future.
Going further together
Namibia for Life is possible because of the collaboration among Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN), Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations (NACSO), and WWF, in collaboration with other key partners. These include Bezos Earth Fund, Carmen Busquets, Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), Enduring Earth, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Impact Tank Analysis Foundation, National Communal Conservancy and Community Forest Alliance (NCCFA), The Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Laurie and Jeffrey Ubben, and ZOMA LAB. Namibian partners also recognize the many years of critical support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW for CCFN and the conservancy movement.
Namibia for Life is part of the growing community of locally designed and led PFP initiatives with support from Enduring Earth, which partners with governments, communities, Indigenous peoples, and funders to accelerate conservation and sustainable development, address biodiversity loss, secure durable financing, and enhance economic growth, using the PFP model.
“As Chairperson of the Okongo Conservancy, I am very happy and excited about the Namibia for Life Project Finance for Permanence initiative. It will strengthen capacity, improve governance, and ensure our communities benefit more from conservation, while also supporting better monitoring of donor funds in our conservancies.”
—Martha Nghidengwa, Chairperson of Okongo Conservancy
© Marcus Westberg / WWF-US
“Namibia’s rich biodiversity is a national asset that underpins our tourism economy, rural livelihoods, and our resilience to climate change. Initiatives such as Namibia for Life demonstrate how strategic partnerships can translate conservation achievements into long-term socio-economic benefits for our people.”
—The Right Honorable Elijah Ngurare, Prime Minister of Namibia
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“As Chairperson of the Alliance, I regard the PFP initiative as a significant milestone in advancing community-led conservation and sustainable development. It offers essential support to strengthen the capacity of our member conservancies and community forests, ensuring long-term environmental stewardship and socio-economic benefits. Through this partnership, we aim to enhance coordination, accountability, and impact for the benefit of present and future generations.”
—Thomas Muronga, Chairperson, NCCFA
© WWF-US/Gareth Bentley
“This initiative strengthens national ownership of conservation financing while ensuring that communities remain at the heart of natural resource management. The Namibia for Life PFP is aligned with government priorities and reinforces our commitment to inclusive, community-driven conservation."
—Honourable Indileni Daniel, Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism
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“Since 2000, NACSO has proudly supported Namibia’s CBNRM program through a collaborative, multipartner model that delivers coordinated and cost-effective support to communities across the country. We are honored to support Namibia for Life as a bold and transformative milestone, securing permanent, sustainable financing and strengthening community-led conservation for generations to come.”
—Maxi Louis, Director of NACSO
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“This is a decisive step in securing long-term funding to support communities managing wildlife and natural resources. With consistent extension services, it will help ensure communities remain well-governed and able to deliver both conservation and livelihood benefits. It also helps maintain Namibia’s position as a global leader in community-based conservation.”
—Advocate Andrew Corbett, Board Chair of CCFN
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"SEDF is an important step toward building stronger, more sustainable conservancy economies in Namibia. By combining enterprise support with access to appropriate finance, we are assisting community-based businesses to strengthen their operations, improve investment readiness, and create long-term livelihood opportunities linked to conservation."
—Elzine Mushambi, Founder of Impact Tank
© WWF-US/Gareth Bentley
“After 30 years of commitment and support to the community-based natural resource management movement, the launch of Namibia for Life and the long-term funding it provides is a dream come true. This funding will maintain a lasting foundation from which to launch new opportunities for nature and people into the future. What a wonderful achievement. We are proud as WWF to be part of this partnership.”
—Dr. Juliane Zeidler, Country Director, WWF-Namibia
© Marcus Westberg / WWF-US
A lasting image for Namibia's future
By pairing long-term financing with community leadership, Namibia for Life ensures that the landscapes where wildlife and people coexist remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come. It builds on decades of local stewardship and recognizes conservancies as central to the country’s conservation success.
Through sustained support for conservancies, local economies, and eco services, Namibia for Life helps safeguard one of the world’s most remarkable conservation success stories. The result is a future where wildlife populations continue to recover, communities maintain control over their land and resources, and Namibia’s globally important ecosystems remain a source of life, resilience, and opportunity.
© WWF-US/Gareth Bentley
“Namibia for Life marks a defining moment for community-led conservation as the first Project Finance for Permanence initiative in Africa and the eighth globally since Enduring Earth was established in 2020. Led by communal conservancies, this PFP channels long-term finance into local nature-based enterprises and contributes to a total of more than US$1.8 billion now secured in durable funding through PFPs. By backing community-run lodges, honey and craft value chains, and other nature-based businesses, Namibia for Life keeps income local, eases pressure on natural resources, and advances global 2030 conservation goals.”
—Zdenka Piskulich, Managing Director of Enduring Earth
© WWF-US/Gareth Bentley
“Namibia’s community conservancies show that nature can recover when communities have the power and resources to manage the lands they know best. Philanthropy can help turn that local leadership into lasting finance, and Namibia for Life brings that promise to life, giving 30x30—the global goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030—the staying power it will need long after the announcement.”
—Dr. Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader for Nature Solutions, Bezos Earth Fund
© NACSO/WWF in Namibia
"For over two decades, Namibia's communal conservancies have proven that when local communities have the authority and resources to manage their wildlife, both wildlife and communities flourish. Namibia for Life builds on this trusted model by securing permanent funding and policy support for up to 100 conservancies managing up to 20 million hectares. This is Africa's first Project Finance for Permanence initiative—and it works precisely because it enables communities who are already conservation experts to scale what they do best: protecting wildlife while building sustainable enterprises that benefit their families and future generations."
—Nik Sekhran, Chief Conservation Officer, WWF-US
© NACSO/WWF in Namibia
“Namibia for Life will secure long-term, sustainable financing to strengthen communal conservancies and the extension services that keep them effective in one of the world’s most important dryland biodiversity strongholds. This is a great example of a whole-of-society approach to achieving the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goal of conserving 30% of land, waters, and seas by 2030.”
—Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Director of Strategy and Operations at the GEF
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“When I visited Namibia in 2018, I understood why it is such an important country for the future of conservation. Its commitment to community-led preservation, wildlife protection, and sustainable development is truly inspiring. After seeing firsthand the impact WWF created through Bhutan for Life, I had no doubt they were the ideal partner for an initiative like Namibia for Life.”
—Carmen Busquets, WWF National Council Member
© WWF-US/Gareth Bentley
“Namibia for Life demonstrates how nature conservation and benefits for local communities go hand in hand. We are delighted to expand our work with the ProNamib Nature Reserve and community programmes in Hardap by supporting this outstanding initiative for the whole of Namibia.”
—John Bernstein, Chairman of The ProNamib Trust
© NACSO/WWF in Namibia
"Namibia’s landscapes hold some of the world’s most magnificent wildlife and a powerful story of what’s possible when communities lead the way. For decades, communal conservancies here have shown that conservation works best when local people have a voice and direct stake in the future of their homelands. This initiative demonstrates that when communities, governments, and partners come together through the Project Finance for Permanence model, we can secure lasting benefits for nature and for the people who count on it.”
—Carter Roberts, President and CEO, WWF-US
© Jason Houston / WWF
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