African Wildlife, People Success Stories

BARCELONA, SPAIN--Research showing that wildlife conservation and sound natural resource management can aid African development is being unveiled this week at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.

The report, compiled by the Bio-Hub initiative, highlights innovative community-based approaches to managing natural resources and conserving wildlife. Based on a conference held in March in Niamey, Niger, it reflects the findings of practitioners, researchers and donors from 12 African and 6 European countries.

The report especially highlights the benefits of involving communities living in conserving wildlife-rich areas. In Namibia, for example, the creation of communal conservancies has virtually eradicated illegal hunting and increased the cash income flowing into communities by tenfold, the report says.

"Wildlife conservation and sound management can deliver development benefits for local communities in African countries," says Nesbert Samu of the African Wildlife Foundation. "This publication shows what is possible and highlights the importance of sharing best practices between different countries and regions."

To read more about the report, click here.

To follow events at the IUCN Congress, click here.