09/07/2026
Steering Committee Approves Key Milestones for Namibia's Urban Climate Resilience Project
Namibia has reached an important milestone in the development of a Green Climate Fund (GCF) project aimed at strengthening the resilience of urban and peri-urban communities to the impacts of climate change through sustainable food systems.
The Second Project Preparation Facility (PPF) Steering Committee Meeting, held at the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia, reviewed progress on the preparation of the funding proposal for the project titled, "Enhancing Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Urban and Peri-Urban Communities to the Impact of Climate Change through Urban and Peri-Urban Food Systems in Namibia."
The meeting was chaired by Ms Josefina Kakololo, Chief Conservation Scientist from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) and brought together representatives from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR), the Namibian Association of Local Authority Officers (NALAO), the City of Windhoek , the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN)/Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG), ALAN (Association of Local Authorities in Namibia and the recruited consultants from the Red-Dune Environment Consultants.
The proposed five-year project seeks to mobilise US$10 million, including US$9.9 million in grant financing from the Green Climate Fund , to strengthen climate resilience, improve food and nutrition security, promote climate-smart urban and peri-urban agriculture and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for vulnerable communities. The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 82,025 people and indirectly benefit more than 287,500 people across 6 Local Authorities with a focus on supporting vulnerable households and informal settlements to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.
Speaking during the meeting, Chairperson Ms Josefina Kakololo, Chief Conservation Scientist at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, encouraged the project team to embed circular economy principles throughout the proposed interventions to maximise environmental, social and economic benefits.
"As we refine this funding proposal, we should ensure that circular economy principles are embedded across the proposed initiatives. The Environmental Investment Fund, together with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, is currently developing Namibia's Circular Economy Policy. This presents a timely opportunity to align the project with emerging national policy directions and demonstrate progressive thinking in designing climate-resilient urban and peri-urban food systems. By doing so, we can create interventions that not only strengthen climate resilience but also promote sustainable resource use, reduce waste and generate green economic opportunities for our communities," she said.
As a way forward, the project team will incorporate the recommendations of the Project Steering Committee and finalise all outstanding documentation. The full funding proposal is scheduled to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund on or before 21 August 2026, marking the next major milestone in securing international climate finance for Namibia's urban climate resilience agenda.
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