This study provides an overview of the historical evolution of nature conservation in Namibia, tracing the shift from colonial-era protectionist policies to contemporary community‑based natural resource management (CBNRM). Under the former South West Africa administration, conservation was characterized by exclusionary practices that removed rural communities from land and denied them access to wildlife and natural resources. Amendments to the Nature Conservation Act in 1968 granted limited utilization rights to white commercial farmers, but communal areas remained excluded. Following independence, Namibia adopted a more participatory conservation model. The 1996 amendment to the Nature Conservation Act extended rights and responsibilities for natural resource management to communities in communal areas, leading to the establishment of conservancies as formal local institutions. Conservancies—on both communal and commercial land—aim to promote sustainable resource utilization, employment creation, and income generation through wildlife management, tourism, and related livelihood activities. This report examines the socio-economic dimensions of Namibia’s conservancies, commissioned by WWF, with a particular focus on governance practices, community attitudes toward the conservancy concept, and emerging issues related to conflict resolution. It reflects contemporary developments across registered and emerging conservancies and their role in advancing rural development and sustainable resource management.