Green Scheme Policy.

The Namibia Green Scheme Policy is a national Policy with a sectoral approach. The main objective of the Policy is to create an enabling, commercially viable environment in irrigation sector through an effective public-private partnership to stimulate increasing private sector investment in the irrigation sub-sector and through this objective to reach a more productive, self-sufficient agricultural sector helping also to reduce poverty.
The Policy addresses food security by investing in the agricultural sector to increase local production in order to ensure food security and food self-sufficiency.
The use of cost-efficient irrigation methods will be encouraged based on the scarcity of water and the long- term environmental sustainability. To this end the Policy sets forth that special attention will be given to be in accordance with the objectives of The National Water Policy 2000 and Namibian Environmental Assessment Policy.
A more inclusive livelihood will be provided for the growing rural population and the poverty level of the rural population will be reduced. To this end the participation of women and the unemployed rural youth in irrigation sector will be increased; research, training and extension services will be provided to irrigation farmers; adverse health consequences will be minimized; the production of high value horticulture products will be maximized at local and external markets. In addition small-scale irrigation farmers will be provided the opportunity of participating in planning, financing, implementing, operating, and maintaining irrigation systems in anticipation of achieving self-employment and self-sustainability. Also primary education and skills development of the irrigation farmer will be provided by the Ministry.
Support will be given for the development of a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector. The public-private partnership will be encouraged in terms of infrastructure and physical development; effective, efficient and economic resource utilization and management and establishment of a free market environment. In addition the role of the private sector will be increased in irrigation sector and the private sector will be encouraged to be active in remote and underdeveloped areas. The agricultural economic base will be diversified and agro-industrial ventures will be developed. The Policy will impose obligations onto the commercial irrigation farming enterprise such as the facilitation of capacity building and skills transfer to the number of small- scale irrigation farmers. Also the small-scale irrigation farmers’ unrestricted access to the sufficiently developed and maintained supporting infrastructure, irrigation and farming methodology best practices will be enabled. As a result to realize all the objectives of the Policy and for its implementation a strong commercial irrigation farming enterprise and the small-scale irrigation farmers will play the key role and these two stakeholders of the irrigation subsector will be supported. The policy will also provide establishment, development and maintenance of infrastructure such as on-land off-land development and operational infrastructure. Furthermore The Green Scheme Policy will provide for the availability of loans and different financial incentive schemes such as: water tariff incentives and interest rate incentives.
The ministries responsible for the implementation of the Policy are the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development. The Policy also establishes a Green Scheme Coordinating Commission under the responsible Ministry. The mission of the Green Scheme Coordinating Commission will be to facilitate the establishment of a suitable environment, which will enable the achievement of the objectives of the Green Scheme. The Commission will also govern the authorization, implementation and evaluation of irrigation projects under the Green Scheme Policy. Ministry of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Traditional Authorities, Regional Councils, Land Boards and the Water Board Agency are other stakeholders regarding the implementation of this Policy.