Community Development through Invasive Plant Species Management in Gibeon, Namibia

This project helped the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia establish a firewood business to create income generating job opportunities in the village of Gibeon. Through Integrated Water Resource Management, a community group harvested the invasive plant species Prosopis in an effort to decrease detrimental environmental impacts and improve local livelihoods. Exploring the feasibility of the initiative and the market potential for firewood in and around Gibeon led to production optimization strategies and the identification of two major market possibilities. With proper training, employee distribution, and marketing, the business could be viable, but many variable costs and necessary resources require further examination to determine long-term sustainability