A parliamentary monitoring mission to the Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West regions has revealed that Namibia's world-renowned Community Natural Resources Management Programme (CBNRM) is at a critical crossroads. While nature reserves continue to generate millions for rural communities - over N$30 million in the Zambezi region alone last fiscal year - the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources said the system was hampered by outdated frameworks, weak governance and an unhealthy reliance on trophy hunting. The committee, which conducted a control survey from 11 to 15 August, found that most nature reserves remain at an "elementary level" and are unable to meet concession standards or develop professional hunting plans. This lack of expertise, the report warns, is costing communities significant revenue from wildlife and tourism. Although the CBNRM programme has played a central role in the success of conservation in Namibia since 1998, it has not been modernised to reflect rapidly changing economic and environmental realities, according to the report. The nature reserves continue to operate according to the original framework conditions, which no longer meet new threats such as escalating human-wildlife conflicts, illegal logging, poaching, land occupation and increasing competition for land from other sectors. One of the key findings was the over-reliance on trophy hunting, a sector in which nature reserves have limited bargaining power and virtually no expertise of their own. The committee noted that even after decades of tourism and wildlife management, neither the nature reserves nor the Ministry of Environment have produced a single Namibian professional trophy hunter. As a result, municipalities often negotiate with highly skilled concession applicants, leaving them vulnerable to unfavorable price and revenue agreements. Weaknesses in governance further undermine progress. The report highlights persistent problems such as nepotism, tribalism, weak administration and outdated communication structures