NAMIBIA needs about N$430 billion to implement a range of climate change activities in the next 11 years. This was said by environment minister Pohamba Shifeta in the National Assembly last week when he answered questions from the United Democratic Front's member of parliament, Apius Auchab. Shifeta said Namibia has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 89%, and implementing climate-resilient programmes by the year 2030. These projects include initiatives aimed at improving agricultural climatic resilience, improving ecosystem management practices of 'smallholder farmers' and community-based natural resources management, and generating renewable technology. The activities also include mechanisms on how to improve soil carbon and fertility, how to assess adaptation and resilience, and the creation of better livestock management systems. Namibia has been badly affected by the persistent droughts experienced over the past 10 years, which have led to the drastic reduction of the country's agricultural produce. “This situation threatens our ability to achieve our national development goals, more especially on food and water security. “The destruction of our infrastructure such as roads also puts a heavy burden on state coffers as these facilities have to be rebuilt or reconstructed in a climate-resilient fashion, which requires additional budgeting,” the minister stated. The proposed national climate change activities would cost an estimated N$430 billion by 2030. About 90% of these funds would be sourced from the Green Climate Fund and other multilateral funding institutions, while the remaining 10% would be mobilised from within the country. Shifeta said the ministry has so far secured US$9,3 million (about N$102 million) from the Green Climate Fund for a climate adaptation project to be implemented in the Kunene region. The project is titled 'Improving rangeland and ecosystem management practices of smallholder farmers under conditions of climate change in the Sesfontein, Fransfontein and Warmquelle areas of the Republic of Namibia'. The objectives of the project is to reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farmers under climate change conditions by safeguarding natural capital that generates ecosystem services to sustain agricultural production systems. The project will start on 1 June this year, and Shifeta said this project was part of a range of proposals that were submitted to the Green Climate Fund. He said apart from this project, the ministry, together with the national accredited entity, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, also submitted two other projects which got approval from the Green Climate Fund, and would cost about N$300 million. These are the climate-resilient agriculture project in three of the vulnerable extreme northern crop-growing regions, and the climate change responsive community-based natural resources management project. The minister added that another project proposal valued at N$760 million which is aimed at addressing water scarcity in central Namibia targeting the Windhoek district, had been submitted to the Green Climate Fund. The ministry had also secured a further N$65 million from the Adaptation Fund for the “pilot desalination plant with renewable power and membrane technology” in the Bethanie and Grünau areas in the //Karas region. “The ministry is also busy engaging entities which are accredited for a large amount of money so that projects on resilient infrastructure, water and energy are implemented,” Shifeta noted.