The communities of the Kunene Region have finally come to an agreement over the planned establishment of a wildlife conservation park in the region and have since agreed on its implementation.

The park, which will be known as Ombonde People's Park (OPP), will be Namibia's first large-scale voluntarily established protected area, aiming to maintain biodiversity while developing socio-economic opportunities for the area's residents through tourism and the sustainable use of wildlife.

The park includes the Ehirovipuka and Omatendeka conservancies, which are founding members alongside the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

According to the Spokesperson of the OPP, Amon Kapi, they are only waiting for the bill to be passed in parliament.

Because of the inaccessible, mountainous geography and the dry climate that significantly hinder farming in the area, the community has opted to consider other means of survival, including tourism.

Tjavareka Tjijahura, who serves as the only female board member of the OPP, is calling on women in the area to grab the opportunity, urging them not to shy away from joining their male counterparts on the project.

Once the park is operational, employment and skills will be created for the conservancies' members at tourism sites and lodges in the park.