What is the objective of the ResMob project?

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – commissioned
by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and nuclear Safety (BMUB), is currently implementing the Resource
Mobilisation for the Biodiversity Strategy of Namibia Project (ResMob).
The overarching project goal is to improve Namibia’s capacity to mobilise financial, human, technical and knowledge-based resources for biodiversity
conservation, specifically to support the implementation of the objectives outlined in the second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2).
The key product of the project will be the preparation of a national Resource Mobilisation Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation, including concrete policy
options, economic instruments and communication plans.

Natural capital accounting
By measuring the economic value of nature, ecosystems and the benefits they bring, the value can be documented and integrated into national accounting as a basis for government policy and management. Natural capital accounting must demonstrate the value of biodiversity in Namibia to justify calls for resources. Two types of accounting systems are needed: environmental-economic accounts and ecosystem accounts. Both accounting systems are based upon international standards and guidelines aiming to add environment aspects (natural capital accounting) to national accounts and to gross domestic product (GDP) as the most important progress indicator.

Resource mobilisation
An expenditure report has been drawn up documenting all public and private funding spent on conserving biodiversity. This will be compared to funding needed to implement the biodiversity strategy. To make up the financing shortfall, proposals will be developed to introduce economic financing tools such as taxes or charges or even phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies or other economic instruments.

Skills development
The project is developing customised training programmes, cooperating with tertiary education institutions, strengthening environmental economics in Namibia and supporting the Environmental Economics Network of Namibia (EENN). The EENN brings together like-minded individuals working together to protect Namibia’s inimitable biodiversity by promoting and mainstreaming the use of environmental economics within Namibia.

Mr. Ferdinand Mwapopi
Resource Mobilisation for Biodiversity Conservation (ResMob) Project
Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Private Bag 13306
Windhoek
Namibia

Dr Martin Nowack
Resource Mobilisation for Biodiversity Conservation (ResMob) Project
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
P.O. Box 24486
Windhoek
Namibia