case studies undp: torra conservancy, namibia

7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: TORRA CONSERVANCY, Namibia

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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities

NamibiaTORRA CONSERVANCY

Empowered live

Resilient nation

Empowered live

Resilient nation


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UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years

the Equator Prize, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiatives searchable case study database.

EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe

Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,

Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu

DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Pa

Brandon Payne, Mariajos Satizbal G.

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the Torra Conservancy, and especially the inputs and guidance o Sue Snym

(Wilderness Saaris), Ketji Jermain (Community Liaison, Wilderness Saaris), and Lena Florry (Area Manager, Wilderness Saaris). All ph

credits courtesy o Torra Conservancy and Wilderness Saaris. Wilderness Saaris (page 9, top let, top right, bottom right; page 10); Da

Allen (cover page; pages 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9, bottom let; 11); Mike Myers (page 12). Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Suggested Citation

United Nations Development Programme. 2012. Torra Conservancy, Namibia. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. New York, NY.
http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdfhttp://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdf


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PROJECT SUMMARYTorra Conservancy, located on communal lands in theKunene region o northwest Namibia, is home to more than1,200 residents, living in small settlements scattered acrossthe 3,493-km2 territory. In 1995, the conservancy began asearch or investors to develop an ecotourism enterprisein the territory, represented by the Ward 11 ResidentsAssociation Trust in negotiations. An eco-lodge wasconstructed in partnership with Wilderness Saaris Namibia,a private tourism operator, the rst joint-venture agreemento its kind in Namibia.

Wilderness Saaris Namibia operates and maintainsDamaraland Camp as a protable ecotourism enterprise.Since its opening in 1996, the camp has been staed mainlyby local community members and, since 2002, managed byconservancy residents. Jobs at Damaraland Camp provideincome or 23 ull-time employees and managers, whileTorra Conservancy also generates revenues through rentreceived rom Wilderness Saari Namibia.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004

FOUNDED: 1996

LOCATION: Northwest Namibia

BENEFICIARIES: Over 1,000 conservancy members

BIODIVERSITY: 350,000-ha community conservancy

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TORRA CONSERVANCYNamibia

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Key Activities and Innovations 6

Biodiversity Impacts 8

Socioeconomic Impacts 8

Policy Impacts 10

Sustainability 11

Replication 11

Partners 12


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orra Conservancy is located in the vast arid landscape o northwest

Namibia. The conservancy is responsible or the oversight and

management o around 350,000 hectares o spectacular and

cologically unique terrain, and is the setting or a pioneering

ommunity-based approach to wildlie management and

cotourism that has resulted in signicant increases in endemic

nimal populations and simultaneously improved the livelihoods o

ocal communities.

he majority o the conservancy alls in the Khorixas constituency o

he Kunene region, with the northern section alling in the Sesontein

onstituency. The territory under community management orms a

ignicant percentage o land managed or conservation purposes

etween the Kunene and Orange rivers. The conservancy name,orra, translates to red rock and reerences the red basalt rock that

overs much o the land surace. The region is extremely dry, with

nnual rainalls as low as 50 millimeters along much o Namibias

keleton Coast.

he majority o residents in Torra originated rom the Riemvasmaak

ommunity in South Arica. They were orcibly removed rom their

ands in 1973 and 1974 by the South Arican administration during

partheid. A good number o residents are also Damara people,

while others still are more recent immigrants. A little more than

,200 people live in settlements scattered across Torra Conservancy.

he majority o settlements are located along the road rom Khorixas

o Palmwag, the largest o which is Bergsig. Even in this capital ohe territory, there are only a ew small shops and community service

enters.

Project catalysts: poaching, drought and poverty

n the early 1980s, communities in Namibia were witnessing rapid

eclines in wildlie populations due to poaching and droughts, the

atter having intensied in requency and length over the previous

wo decades. The complexion and scale o poaching also changed

n the 1970s. The liberation war being waged in Namibia meant that

rearms were more widely available; weapons which event

made their way into the hands o ivory poachers. This had predict

negative consequences or many wildlie species, particularly la

game. Elephant populations in the Kunene region, or insta

dropped rom an estimated 1,200 in 1970 to only 250 in 1982.

that same period, the number o black rhinos dropped rom 30

65. Similar declines in populations o girae, zebra, springbok,

and other species were observed.

From a socioeconomic perspective, the relocated Riemvasm

population ound it very dicult to make ends meet in

inhospitable landscape. There were little to no available j

transportation was limited, and the basis o the economy

cattle, goat and sheep livestock. Even those venturing into sscale agriculture and the cultivation o ruit and vegetable gar

were conronted with incursions by elephants and predator sp

such as lions and cheetahs. Elephants would raid gardens, dam

property, destroy water installations, and on occasion cause inju

death to local residents.

It was against this context that a wildlie guard system was init

by a Namibian NGO, Integrated Rural Development and Na

Conservation (IRDNC), in partnership with local communitie

reclaim wildlie populations and local livelihoods. The guard sy

involved traditional elders appointing community members aacto wildlie extension ocers, a orm o customary deput

which conerred authority to combat poaching and mopopulations o endemic animals. The model proved remark

successul at reducing incidents o poaching and increasing wi

abundance. This locally-evolved and locally-directed system bec

a cornerstone o Namibias Community-Based Natural Reso

Management Program (CBNRM), today recognized around the w

or its ecacy and the successul devolution o authority.

In 1996, Namibia passed legislation that recognized the bound

o approved conservancies and granted conditional rights to

areas residents to enter into entrepreneurial ventures in ecotou

Background and Context


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nd sustainable hunting. Previously, tenure uncertainty meant many

ocal residents elt susceptible to eviction rom their lands by either

overnment or outside parties. With legal protections in place,

ommunities were able to undertake alternative livelihood plans

nd make long-term investments in land use planning. With greater

ertainty and newound empowerment, the communities in the

rea which would become the Torra Conservancy became the rst

n Namibia to enter into a joint venture with a private enterprise. In

996, in partnership with Wilderness Saaris Namibia, the communitypened Damaraland Camp: a luxury tented lodge or saaris that has

uickly garnered attention as a top ecotourism destination.

Governance and organizational structure

The conservancy is overseen and administered by a seven-pe

Management Committee. The committee is elected by the

conservancy members every ve years and overseas the saari c

as well as the protection o wildlie through a team o game gu

Financial decisions on how ecotourism revenues are distrib

and invested are also made by the committee ater consulta

with the conservancys orty communities. The majority o decisare guided by inormation obtained through eld and oce

through a monitoring system known as the event book w

covers institutional and natural resource management.


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Key Activities and Innovations

orra Conservancy is located on the communal lands o the Kunene

egion in northwest Namibia. More than 1,200 indigenous peoples

o Damara, Riemvasmaaker, Herero and Ovambo tribal origin and

dentication are spread over the 350,000-hectare territory. The

ast majority o Torra residents earn their living as pastoral armers

o cattle, sheep and goat. Pastoralist activities are supplemented

by small-scale vegetable arming. The conservancy aims to balance

he traditional livelihoods o local residents with an ecotourism

enture that bases its popularity on vibrant wildlie populations. As

o 2006, Torra was home to 700 elephants, more than 1,000 girae,

oughly 75,000 springbok, 15,000 oryx and the worlds largest wild

black rhino population that continues to grow. The conservancy also

boasts populations o hyena, jackal, cheetah, leopard and lion.

A community-private sector partnership or ecotourism

n anticipation o national legislation that would create legal space

or community-based conservancies, in 1995 the communities in

orra undertook a process o identiying investors interested in

eveloping an ecotourism enterprise in the territory. The Ward 11

Residents Association Trust was legally constituted to represent the

ommunity in negotiations. Every household in every settlement o

he territory was able to register association members.

Ater a great deal o interest rom dierent investors, the association

elected Wilderness Saaris Namibia to develop an eco-lodge. Thispartnership represented the rst joint-venture agreement in the

ountry between a community and a private tourism company. The

ontract signed between the two parties provided the community

with a rental ee or the use o the land based on a percentage o

otal revenue, and 10% o the net daily rate on each bednight sold.

he contract also stipulated that local residents be employed in the

odge and be provided with management training. Provision was

lso made or the community to incrementally acquire ownership

o the lodge.

Between 2005 and 2010, the conservancy was given 20% eq

in Damaraland Camp per annum until the eco-lodge was w

community-owned. At this point, Torra Conservancy chose to

60% back to Wilderness Saaris, orming a joint venture eq

partnership.

Damaraland Camp

Wilderness Saaris Namibia operates and maintains Damara

Camp as a viable and protable ecotourism enterprise. S

its opening in 1996, the camp has been staed mainly by

community members and, since 2002, managed by local resid

Jobs at Damaraland Camp provide additional and direct incom30 ull-time employees and managers, 23 o whom are conserv

members. Additional revenues are generated through rent rece

rom Wilderness Saaris Namibia. This rental arrangement is a

element o the land tenure agreement which underpins the

venture.

When constructing Damaraland Camp, the partners gave ca

consideration to principles o ecological integrity and sustainab

Sandbags, eucalyptus poles and reeds were used to reduce the

or cement and other synthetic materials. Structures were desig

in the style o traditional indigenous architecture. Accommoda

are elevated on poles to minimize impact on soils and to allow

spread o vegetation. Solar water pumps were installed and a wwater system established to reduce the amount o water used b

camp. The conservancy also cleared non-native plant species

the camp area and is working to extend this eradication throug

the conservancy.

Since 2010, the lodge has been upgraded, with both Wilder

Saaris and the conservancy investing capital or the upgrade

conservancy used unds raised rom the sale o 60% equity to the

company to settle their portion o the shareholders contribu

one o the rst instances in Namibia o a conservancy reinvesti


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n ecotourism project without donor unding or loans. Also in 2010,

orra Conservancy was assisted by Wilderness Saaris to raise a bank

oan o NAD 500,000 based on the collateral o their shareholding

n the eco-lodge. This money was used to build the Damaraland

Adventurer Camp, a secondary ecotourism operation, and is the

rst instance o a Namibian conservancy raising their own unds or

onstruction purposes.

Hunting quotas and live game sales

Ater three years o successul ecotourism partnership with

Wilderness Saari Namibia, the conservancy branched out into

ustainable hunting in 1999. Each conservancy is granted an annual

unt quota. By selling this hunt quota at competitive rates, the

onservancy has been able to augment its revenue streams. Ater its

rst three years, the hunting enterprise represented more than one

hird o conservancy cash income, bringing in roughly USD 30,000

n 2002 alone. The venture has proven extremely lucrative or the

ocal community without impacting the long-term sustainability o

wildlie populations.

orra Conservancy was also the rst communal conservancy in the

ountry to carry out live game sales to other conservation areas in

eed o stock to repopulate their lands. The annual trapping and

ale o live animals all in accordance with legal quotas provides

he conservancy with an additional source o prot. The practice has

lso played an important unction in repopulating other protected

reas. The conservancy has had notable success in this regard with

pringbok.

Wildlie monitoring

The conservancy employs six trained game guards. This t

gathers inormation and data on wildlie sightings, incid

o human-wildlie confict, incidents o poaching, and o

noteworthy activities in the conservation area. Guards also co

reports rom local households and pastoralists rom the urt

reaches o the conservancy to eectively and accurately mon

wildlie and natural resource use in the territory. All six guards retheir ndings directly to the Torra Management Committee.

active management approach allows or the kind o responsive

and fexibility that permits, or example, hunting and consump

quotas or certain amilies or communities that may be particu

isolated or marginalized.

Benet sharing

In 2003, prots rom Torra Conservancy activities were equit

distributed as a one-time cash dividend (o NAD 630

approximately USD 75, roughly equivalent to a months wage

all 300 adult members o the community. Conservancy income

since been invested in conservancy running costs and commu

development projects, such as building roads, constructing wate

holes, and providing clean water access. Ecotourism generates d

income or residents employed by the eco-lodge, and indirectl

local service providers.


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8

Impacts

BIODIVERSITY IMPACTSTorra Conservancy is a red-rock landscape, rich in biodiversity.

Because o arid weather conditions and the scarcity o soil, vegetation

s sparse and most plants are low-lying. The plains are dominated by

grasses and Euphorbia bushes, while paper-bark trees grow on hill

lopes. The territory is also home to some very unique biodiversity,

notably including the welwitschia plant which is ound nowhere else

on the planet. Ana, mopane and camel thorn trees are among the

more abundant species in the area.

Poaching and extensive droughts were key drivers o biodiversity

oss and dwindling wildlie populations throughout northwest

Namibia in the 1960s and 1970s. Several populations o fagshippecies such as the elephant and black rhino were in sharp

decline and on the verge o extinction. While national parks had been

established, the migrating nature o many endemic species meant

hat herds were let vulnerable and unprotected or large periods o

he year. Community-based conservancies run by groups like Torra

Conservancy proved to be the vital link capable o reestablishing

hriving wildlie numbers and ensuring the sae passage o migrating

nimals throughout the year.

Species recovery in the conservancy

Torra Conservancy is situated between two important national

parks: the coastal Skeleton National Park to the west, and the EtoshaNational Park to the east. Spanning more than 352,000 hectares,

he conservancy contains a number o diverse landscapes and

ecosystems, rom desert lowlands to mountainous highlands. The

onservancy is also home to an equally diverse range o animals,

birds, insects and vegetation. Among these endemic species, many

were previously threatened and endangered. One example is the

Hartmanns mountain zebra, a rare sighting in the early 1980s, but

species that is now making an impressive recovery. Plains zebra

oo have been growing in number within the conservancy, rom

n estimated 450 in 1982 to 1,700 in 2006. Another species on the

rebound is the south-western black rhino; once critically endangdue to demand or its horns, its status has since been elevate

endangered. The work o Torra and neighbouring conservancie

played an important role in this.

Another positive result o the conservancys work has been reco

o the local elephant population, which had dropped rom 1

animals in 1970 to just 250 in 1982. Since the wildlie guard system

been implemented in Torra Conservancy, the elephant popula

has grown, stabilized, and is now estimated at 700 animals. Si

trends have been recorded with antelope species such as sprin

and oryx, which had allen to 650 and 400 animals respective

the early 1980s. As o 2004, numbers in those populations had

dramatically to 74,000 springbok and 15,300 oryx.

Although reliable historic estimates are not available or many o

species considered hard to track like lion, cheetah, leopard, h

and jackal, their populations are considered healthy and gro

throughout the conservancy and surrounding areas. For exam

the cheetah population in Namibia that was once consid

threatened has today grown to be the worlds largest, a

estimated 2,500. Other species now ound in abundance withi

conservancy include warthog, klipspringer, kudu, duiker, steen

and ostrich.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

Torra Conservancy contains dry, arid and largely unproductive

that is not suited to conventional arming. Pastoralism practic

the region are an adaptation; a response to the need to move an

between areas where it had rained and grazing was possible. W

pastoralism is still practised, there are a number o settlements

rely on pumped water and other inrastructure. The local popula

still relies on livestock rearing including goats, at-tailed sh

cattle, donkeys and horses though there is signicant variati

ownership between amilies. The poorer o residents likely keep

than ten animals, while wealthier armers tend to several hund


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A high percentage o households supplement their incomes with

emittances rom amily members that have moved to urban centers

and have higher earning capacity.

O all new sources o income since incorporating as a conservancy,he Damaraland Camp has been the most lucrative. Since opening

n 1996, the luxury tented lodge has become one o Namibias most

popular saari destinations. Camp revenues help cover the running

costs o the conservancy through salaries and other expenses.

Employment and income rom ecotourism

Damaraland Camp currently employs 30 individuals, 23 o whom

77%) are rom the Torra Conservancy. The building o the camp

equired 2030 casual labourers, some o whom went on to nd

permanent employment in the camp, or in other Wilderness Saaris

camps in Namibia. The Conservancy itsel employs approximately

nine local people in administration and management, while

emporary sta are also employed during the hunting season.

The management committee ensures that some orm o

employment is oered to at least one amily member rom all o the

mall communities in the conservancy territory. This rotating system

o employment and remuneration aims to equitably distribute

cash income and benets rom the ecotourism enterprise. Salaries

eceived by workers are signicantly higher than average household

earnings rom the traditional income-generating activities o

pastoralism and small-scale arming (see Table 1 or a comparison

o average incomes or camp sta and non-camp sta conservancy

members.)

Sta costs (salaries paid to conservancy members, sta m

housing, training, uniorm, etc.) increased rom NAD 537

(around USD 61,000) in 2007-8 to a high o NAD 804,499

91,000) in 2009-10 (all gures Snyman, 2012a). Combined

estimated values or local services and goods (e.g. laundry, rubremoval, rewood), and the annual Joint Venture payments mad

Wilderness Saaris, the Torra Conservancy received a total o NA

million (USD 746,000) in the period 2005-11. (A drop in paymen

2010-11 is explained by a 10% all in occupancy rates or that

explained by the 2010 Soccer World Cup in neighbouring S

Arica and general economic actors.)

Employment opportunities and the prospect o better income

helped to reduce out-migration by youth who might otherwis

9

Table 1: Average income amounts (NAD), 2009

Staf Community

Average annual household income 26,556.84 17,044.56

Average monthly household income 2,213.07 1,420.38

Average daily household income 73.77 47.34

Source: Snyman, 2012a.

Fig. 1: Payments received by the conservancy (NAD), 2007

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11

Joint venture payments

Sta costs (salaries paid to conservancy members, etc.)

Total payments (including local services and goods)

Source: Snyman, 2012a.


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rawn to cities in search o gainul employment. With each sta

member at Damaraland Camp supporting an average o six people

Snyman, 2012a), the camp indirectly benets around 139 members

Torra Conservancy, or 12% o the total population, excluding the

utsourcing o services (such as road maintenance and laundry) that

lso impact on local people.

Hunting quotas and the sale o live game have also bolstered local

ncomes. Torra Conservancy obtains annual quotas rom the Ministry Environment and Tourism or the hunting o trophy species and

or more common game species that may be hunted by residents

without permits. The quotas are designed to ensure that a very small

ercentage o mature animals are hunted. The conservancy is then

ble to sell the trophy species quota in part or in whole to Namibia

Hunting Saaris.

orra Conservancy has also pioneered the sale o live game to

ommunal area conservancies that are in need o transplants to

epopulate a numbers o certain dwindling species. The rst sale o

ve game in Namibia was between Torra and Nyae Nyae Conservancy

n 2002. In two stages, 441 springbok were captured and sent to a

reehold conservancy which in turn provided Nyae Nyae with 226ed hartebeest in exchange or the springbok. A subsequent sale o

63 springbok earned Torra Conservancy USD 37,000.

he successul establishment and unctioning o the conservancy is

ependent on the commitment and support o community members

within the territory. With the recovery o oryx and springbok

opulations, residents have beneted rom own-use hunting quotas

nd meat distributed ater community hunts. Coolers have also

een given out to reduce meat spoilage. The conservancy has also

invested in local inrastructure and service provision. A commu

center and kindergarten have been built. In its rst three yea

operation, the conservancy provided USD 3,600 to local school

POLICY IMPACTS

The leadership o communities in the early 1980s to stem

widespread loss o wildlie in the Kunene region laid the ound

or several important policy changes over the ollowing 25 yThis model o community stewardship as expressed through

wildlie guard system achieved regional and national recogn

as a new way o organizing natural resource management.

ecacy o local community eorts to protect and preserve wi

and natural resources quickly garnered the attention o nat

NGOs, USAID, World Wildlie Fund and the national governmen

Ater achieving independence in 1990, one o the most pres

challenges or Namibia was addressing the state o the environm

sustainable development, and building an inclusive econom

a population with relatively ew income-generating options

initiative o community-based initiatives like the one that w

become Torra Conservancy led to the national Community-BNatural Resource Management program. The latter was le

established with the passing o the Nature Conservation Amend

Act o 1996 which explicitly provides communities with rights to

and wildlie use or communal benet. Torra was one o the

groups in Namibia to be granted ormal recognition as a conserv

under the new law. As o 2012, there were seventy-six regist

communal conservancies in Namibia.

10


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11

Sustainability and Replication

SUSTAINABILITYorra Conservancy has been sel-sucient, unctioning without the

ssistance o external donors since 2001. This has been made possible

hrough revenues generated by the saari camp, controlled trophy

unting, and live game sales. Damaraland Camp is a top destination

or adventure ecotourism in southern Arica. The conservancy is

ntirely community owned and operated. All salaried conservancy

ta are local community members.

Ater nearly thirty years o saeguarding wildlie rom poachers and

teen years o managing the ocial conservancy, Torra has proven

tsel to be a reliable steward o its land by ensuring the maintenance

wildlie populations while simultaneously providing local

esidents with sucient access to water resources and protection

rom predator losses.

he partnership with Wilderness Saaris Namibia has provided

he community with access to technical skills training and the

ommercial, nancial and managerial knowledge benets that

ome with a private sector partner. Technical support and capacity

uilding are also provided by the Namibia Community-Based

ourism Organization and the Namibia Nature Foundation. Several

ther partners, notably including IRDNC, provide Torra with

etworking and knowledge-sharing support as it relates to wildlie

management.

orra Conservancy has had to respond to several new challenges.

One ongoing issue has been growth in predator species such as

heetahs and lions. While rom a conservation perspective this is

ositive, rom the community perspective, and notably rom those

armers engaged in raising livestock, this poses a threat to sustainable

velihoods. As populations o predator species grow, so do attacks

n cattle and other livestock, which translates to lost earning

apacity and income or local armers. Attacks like these oten lead

o what are called revenge killings or simply create tension between

onservation eorts and people-centered development priorities.

This can have the eect o undermining eorts or coexistenoutweigh the economic incentives being derived rom ecotou

To address this issue, Torra Conservancy has developed a na

compensation scheme to reduce the loss on local armers o

stock losses due to predators.

Another sustainability challenge will be addressing the calls

the community or greater nancial transparency. Communica

channels between the management committee, sta and memb

resident settlements will need to be maintained, i not strengthe

in the coming years. I these channels o communication are clos

will be dicult to advance towards shared objectives, and a com

vision and trust will be eroded. To build trust in the community

conservancy will need to continue developing new employm

and income-generating opportunities and maintain econ

incentives or conservation. There remains considerable scop

sustainable economic development in the territory, including

expansion o ecotourism, small-scale businesses and the prov

o local support services.

In terms o long-term environmental sustainability, there is a

to expand conservation and natural resource management bey

the boundaries o the conservancy. The migratory nature o wi

in the area necessitates landscape-level and regionally-integr

conservation strategies. Beyond wildlie, there is a need or bro

natural resource management strategies in water and grassland

REPLICATION

The steps taken by the leaders o the Torra Conservancy to pres

wildlie and natural landscapes led to more than 40 other commun

ollowing suit, and today orm the basis or the national approa

natural resource management that both encourages and empo

local communities to be the stewards o their traditional land

2012, there were 76 registered communal conservancies in Nam

covering a total o 155,205 km2.


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PARTNERS

Wilderness Saaris: joint venture partner in construction,

marketing, and management o Damaraland Camp in

1996; provides lease ees to Torra Conservancy or exclusive

development rights o a lodge in a 10 hectare radius and

traversing rights in the conservancy.

Save the Rhino: trains game guards in the monitoring o black

rhino.

The Namibian Association o Community Based Natural Resource

Management Support Organisations (NASCO): provides Torra

with advice on governance and institutional issues, natural

resource management and nancial and business planning.

Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conserva

(IRDNC): assisted in obtaining legal conservancy status;

given training in management and monitoring systems, as

as technical assistance in negotiating with private sector.

WWFs LIFE Project: has provided applied research in the s

and biological elds to develop appropriate and relevant na

resource management strategies, or program monitoring

or monitoring the natural resource base.

Ministry o Environment and Tourism: provides tech

consulting on resource management; grants annual hun

quotas, and grants concessions or business development.


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FURTHER REFERENCE

Snyman, S. 2012a. Ecotourism joint ventures between the private sector and communities: An updated analysis o the Torra Conserv

and Damaraland Camp partnership, Namibia Tourism Management Perspectives 4 (2012) 127135

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211973612000554

Snyman, S. 2012b. The role o tourism employment in poverty reduction and community perceptions o conservation and touris

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case studies undp: torra conservancy, namibia

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