Recent research published from Botswana has highlighted what most conservationists have suspected for many years: when building interventions for community-based conservation efforts, these activities will be more effective if strong consultation and buy-in is done with the relevant communities and stakeholders. This has always been our approach with our newest programme – Communities for Conservation. Knowing the vital importance our target villages have in the key wildlife areas they are located, CCB has been involved with these communities for almost a decade. Excitingly, more and more organisations are realizing the importance of these vast wildlife areas and are coming on board to help foster coexistence and sustainable conservation in these areas. Using our newly developed Human Wildlife Conflict Strategy for the region, we have been able to join forces to facilitate real, sustainable change. But with so many new stakeholders and so many exciting new activities on the cards, it’s been important for us to continue to engage with the villages in question to bounce ideas and see where their priorities lie.
At the end of March, our teams met up with stakeholders from relevant organisations and community members in the villages of Bere and Kacgae to discuss the ways forward with our upcoming activities and partnerships. In the pipeline for this year, we will be facilitating a natural and cultural resource review with Kalahari Wildlands Trust to help us pave the way for numerous sustainable resource projects. This will enable locals to benefit from natural resources, such as veld products, and cultural tourism developments, such as camp sites, and providing San cultural tours and experiences. We’re also teaming up with Kalahari Wildlands Trust to bolster craft development in the area; and during these recent meetings we were able to get local women signed up for the skills-sharing workshops that will be held in the next few months.
Another exciting development for the area is a partnership between CCB and the Lion Recovery Fund, which has provided the funding for us to trial a Conservation Performance Payment pilot study for the region, which is prone to human-lion conflict. The new system will monitor wildlife numbers in the area around settlements and reward communities when wildlife numbers are maintained, livestock movements controlled and for the location of cheetah marking trees or wild dog denning sites. This concept rewards environmental conservation through positive reinforcement, giving community members incentives to coexist with carnivores and to minimize environmentally-damaging practices, such as poaching or overgrazing livestock in these Wildlife Management Areas.
After our extensive meetings with the communities last month, they are as excited as we are to be mapping such a positive and sustainable way forward for the people of the western Kalahari. We know that with their support and commitment to protecting these wild places, cheetahs, lions and other wildlife can flourish in this important wildlife area.
At the end of March, our teams met up with stakeholders from relevant organisations and community members in the villages of Bere and Kacgae to discuss the ways forward with our upcoming activities and partnerships. In the pipeline for this year, we will be facilitating a natural and cultural resource review with Kalahari Wildlands Trust to help us pave the way for numerous sustainable resource projects. This will enable locals to benefit from natural resources, such as veld products, and cultural tourism developments, such as camp sites, and providing San cultural tours and experiences. We’re also teaming up with Kalahari Wildlands Trust to bolster craft development in the area; and during these recent meetings we were able to get local women signed up for the skills-sharing workshops that will be held in the next few months.
Another exciting development for the area is a partnership between CCB and the Lion Recovery Fund, which has provided the funding for us to trial a Conservation Performance Payment pilot study for the region, which is prone to human-lion conflict. The new system will monitor wildlife numbers in the area around settlements and reward communities when wildlife numbers are maintained, livestock movements controlled and for the location of cheetah marking trees or wild dog denning sites. This concept rewards environmental conservation through positive reinforcement, giving community members incentives to coexist with carnivores and to minimize environmentally-damaging practices, such as poaching or overgrazing livestock in these Wildlife Management Areas.
After our extensive meetings with the communities last month, they are as excited as we are to be mapping such a positive and sustainable way forward for the people of the western Kalahari. We know that with their support and commitment to protecting these wild places, cheetahs, lions and other wildlife can flourish in this important wildlife area.
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