This Enhance Direct Access (EDA) Pilot is built on the strong institutional foundation of the Namibian Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) network, which consists of communal conservancies and community forests in the rural communal areas of Namibia. It comprises 8 Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and the University of Namibia. These existing institutions are ideally placed to be the conduits for the implementation of local-level climate action.

It is expected that the project improve land management of an area of 7,200,000 hectares. The project will run over five years and consists of two complementary components that will empower rural communities to respond to climate change in terms of awareness, adaptive capacity and low-carbon rural development. The two components are:

• Component 1 – Capacity Building and Community Support: this component is essential for the success and sustainability of community-based climate action. It comprises awareness raising, capacity building and support to development and implementation of climate investment plans at the local level.
• Component 2 – Resilient Grant Facility: this component empowers rural CBNRM communities to increase their resilience to climate change through direct access to climate finance. It comprises a ring-fenced grant facility that will focus on the development and strengthening resilient CBNRM livelihoods through grants in three defined investment areas.

The project has an estimated lifespan of 5 years.