Author: Resource Africa
Namibia – farmers, free-roaming elephants and the spike in human elephant conflict
Conflict between humans and Namibia’s growing elephant population can be described as a “problem of success”, says Colin Nott, a Namibian regenerative agricultural consultant. The Namibian elephant population has trebled since 1990, which has resulted in a sharp spike in human-elephant conflict.Following a two-day workshop organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in...
UN World Wildlife Day 2021 (3 March) as “Forests and livelihoods: sustaining people and planet”
“Forests and livelihoods: sustaining people and planet” announced as theme of World Wildlife Day 2021 Geneva, 23 November 2020 - The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) announced today the theme of United Nations World Wildlife Day 2021: “Forests and livelihoods: sustaining people and planet”. Covering nearly a third...
CBNRM: you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone
CBNRM: you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone by Dr Shylock Muyengwa Do community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programmes help rural communities in southern Africa? There is a long-running disagreement over just how much CBNRM contributes towards the welfare of communities, in terms of health, jobs, poverty alleviation, etc. Working in rural communities throughout...
Are CITES bans driving up demand for wildlife products?
An in-depth feature in Knowable Magazine by Natasha Gilbert reports that scientists and wildlife trade experts worry CITES bans may be backfiring by driving up demand, arguing the convention is meant to help ensure wildlife trade meets people's needs while also safeguarding nature. Two examples of trade bans on wildlife and one on a plant species that saw an increase rather...
COVID-19 ‘perfect storm’ threatens conservation in Africa
COVID-19 ‘perfect storm’ threatens conservation in Africa A new report calls for rapid collaborative global action to ensure Africa's wildlife survives COVID-19's devastating impact on tourism, threatening jobs and livelihoods for some of the most impoverished communities. It stresses the importance of adopting more resilient conservation models that benefit humans and wildlife for...
Bold leadership required for conservation in Southern Africa
Bold leadership required for conservation in Southern Africa by Steve Johnson How long must this go on! Those involved in community-based natural resources management or CBNRM, have continued their mantra of the need for devolution of rights over land and natural resources for more than 30 years, with no change! It seems like we are going nowhere despite all our efforts in this direction. Way...