Since our earliest days, IRDNC’s purpose has been to link conservation to the social and economic development of the people who live with wildlife and other valuable natural resources. Over time, we also realized that building the capacity and growing a strong civil society would also advance conservation outcomes.
IRDNC strives to improve the lives of rural people by diversifying the socio-economy in Namibia’s communal areas to include wildlife and other valuable natural resources.
We believe this will secure a long-term place for wild animals outside of national parks, and significantly reduce future pressure on these areas.
We also aim to build up the capacity of rural Namibians, and to assist them to develop a civil society whose members can sustainably manage and benefit from their local natural resources.