Namibia is affected by bush encroachment on a massive scale.The phenomenon currently affects some 26 to 30 million hectares of farmland in 9 of the country's 14 regions. That amounts to roughly 30 per cent of Namibia’s land area. Bush encroachment has lowered the livestock capacity of rangeland by up to two thirds. It further results in severely reduced biodiversity and limits the recharge of groundwater. Despite the negative impacts, the encroacher bush has developed into a huge biomass resource, estimated at about 200 to 300 million tonnes. Measures used to combat bush encroachment create positive opportunities for the Namibian economy, such as the use of the resource for electricity generation and value chain development in other sectors. De-bushing therefore offers the potential to increase agricultural productivity, economic growth, employment and energy security, without competing with food production. In line with the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4) and the National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy of 2012, the Support to De-bushing Project aims to strengthen the restoration of productive rangeland in Namibia. It identifies value chain opportunities to trigger large-scale de-bushing activities. Its focus is closely aligned to the National Industrial Policy of 2012 and the Growth at Home Strategy, which promote domestic value addition for local resources. The project will foster institutional development in the biomass sector and provide support to improve the legal and regulatory framework for large-scale bush control.