Allexer Namundjembo
Ekango Lyomongwa in the Oshikoto region has been formally declared a conservancy under the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975.
The declaration was published in Government Gazette No. 8744 on 17 September 2025.
The conservancy, located in the Omuntele Constituency, covers 132 651.94 hectares and will be divided into management zones.
Its boundaries start at the Etosha National Park fence and extend through Okalonga, Othadhambuku, Etopelyombidhi, Etambo, Oshalongo, Onkani, Epumbu, Omutomboli, and Iitota, before returning to the starting point.
The minister of environment, forestry, and tourism, Indileni Daniel, said the declaration of Ekango Lyomongwa is a milestone for community-based conservation in Namibia.
“This initiative empowers local communities to manage natural resources sustainably while benefiting economically through ecotourism and wildlife management,” she said in the gazette.
She encouraged communities and stakeholders to participate in making the conservancy a success.
Ekango Lyomongwa joins other community-based conservation initiatives such as the King Nehale Conservancy, which has shown that communities can manage wildlife, engage in ecotourism, and support environmental protection.
The new conservancy is expected to enhance biodiversity protection in Oshikoto and create opportunities for community engagement and sustainable resource management.
Conservancies are established under Section 24A of the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975.
This law allows communities to gain conditional rights to manage and benefit from wildlife within defined areas.
The process starts with a community expressing interest, preparing a management plan, and submitting an application with a detailed map to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.
Once approved, the minister declares the area a conservancy in the Government Gazette.
Each conservancy is run by a democratically elected committee and monitored by the ministry to ensure compliance with conservation and legal standards.
The Nature Conservation Amendment Act No. 5 of 1996 strengthens this framework by giving communities the legal basis to manage and use wildlife resources.
Conservancies are designed to empower communities to manage natural resources sustainably, conserve biodiversity, and generate income through ecotourism, trophy hunting, and other wildlife-based activities.
Revenues from these initiatives also support local development, including jobs and infrastructure projects.
