Namibia is exposed to systemic change such as climate change, population increase, settlement expansion, and episodic
shocks – droughts, pandemics, flooding, and market collapse. These elements can lead to creeping poverty, underdevelopment, discontentment, and short-term economic and livelihood destruction, resulting in devastating environmental effects.

Throughout Namibia, under-serviced linear settlements along riverbeds and roads have a high environmental footprint and are not conducive to local entrepreneurship as the economies of scale for business development are lacking, creating a poverty trap for local people and will forever require costly government support.

Water and rainfall are critical to Namibia, and vulnerability assessments have indicated that this already arid land may be pushed to further extremes. Understanding the impact of climate change on communities and landscapes and planning for changes before they occur is critical to building resilience.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), building connectivity and rehabilitating habitat is a major contribution to resilience building. WWF factors in these drivers as we work with our partners to build adaptive capacity to fully integrate vibrant rural towns and villages into secure conservation landscapes and increase the resilience of people and ecosystems to withstand shocks and systemic change.