The effectiveness of community-based conservation (CBC) compared to government-led efforts in wildlife protection is a nuanced topic, with both approaches exhibiting strengths and weaknesses.
While CBC fosters local participation and can lead to sustainable resource management, government efforts typically offer greater enforcement power and capacity for large-scale policy implementation. An integrated approach that leverages the strengths of both is increasingly recognized as optimal for biodiversity conservation.
CBC, a distinct departure from the alienating fortress conservation, is built on the principle of local participation and economic benefits. This model, extensively tested in eastern and southern Africa, has been a beacon of hope for over three decades. It has led to policy reforms that devolve rights over wildlife and natural resources to local communities, making them the key stakeholders in conservation initiatives.
The enduring strength of CBC lies in its ability to cultivate local buy-in and ownership, leading to more sustainable conservation outcomes. For instance, in Namibia, community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programs have demonstrated their ability to facilitate wildlife recovery and provide tangible financial benefits to local communities, thereby improving their attitudes towards wildlife. Similarly, in Tanzania, wildlife management areas (WMAs) managed by local communities effectively integrate biodiversity protection with local livelihoods through a decentralized conservation framework.
However, the transition to CBC has not been without challenges in many African nations. Issues such as a lack of genuine local participation, inequitable benefit sharing, and insufficient political will can hinder success. The proper utilization of wildlife benefits and their alignment with conservation goals are crucial; for example, in Kenya’s Kimana Sanctuary, there were concerns about whether economic benefits truly supported wildlife conservation. Moreover, the socio-economic outcomes and attitudes towards conservation within community conservancies can vary significantly, based on local perceptions and participation.
Government conservation efforts, conversely, typically involve centralized, top-down strategies, including the establishment of protected areas and the implementation of wildlife management policies. Historically, these protectionist policies often alienated rural populations in African countries. Nevertheless, governments possess inherent advantages, such as the capacity for extensive planning, greater financial resources, and legal enforcement mechanisms, vital for combating threats like illegal hunting.
Namibia stands as a beacon of success in community-based conservation, particularly through its conservancy model. Since the 1990s, Namibia has established numerous community conservancies to reconcile wildlife conservation with rural development. The core of Namibia’s CBNRM program involves devolving rights over wildlife to local communities, allowing them to manage and benefit from wildlife resources.
This devolution has led to significant wildlife population recoveries, including species like elephants, lions, and rhinos, in conservancy areas. Namibia’s success story is a testament to the power of community-based conservation, inspiring hope for similar achievements in other regions.
A key factor in Namibia’s success is the direct link between conservation and tangible benefits for local communities. These benefits often come from tourism, hunting, and other wildlife-based enterprises, which generate income, create jobs, and support infrastructure development. The financial gains motivate communities to protect wildlife and their habitats, shifting perceptions of wildlife from a threat to a valuable asset. This creates a strong incentive for sustainable management and reduces human-wildlife conflict through various mitigation strategies. This evolution underscores the importance of direct economic incentives and local control in fostering community support for conservation.
South Sudan, with its rich biodiversity and significant challenges, could learn several critical lessons from Namibia. South Sudan could benefit from empowering local communities to manage and benefit from their wildlife. This includes establishing frameworks for conservancies or similar community-managed areas where local populations have life estate rights over wildlife and derive direct financial and non-financial benefits from conservation.
It is crucial to implement transparent, fair mechanisms for sharing revenues generated from wildlife tourism, hunting, or other enterprises. Namibia’s model ensures that communities see direct returns, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. South Sudan would need to develop similar structures that prevent elite capture and ensure benefits reach a broad spectrum of community members. This emphasis on fairness and inclusivity is a key aspect of successful conservation strategies.
Investing in capacity building for local communities in wildlife management, financial literacy, and governance is not just beneficial; it is essential. Namibia’s success is partly due to strong institutional support for conservancies, enabling effective management and decision-making at the local level. South Sudan could establish programs to train community members, thereby empowering them to take an active role in conservation efforts.
Conservation should be integrated with livelihood strategies to reduce dependence on unsustainable resource exploitation. This involves exploring diversified income streams for communities that are compatible with wildlife protection, such as eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, or other enterprises that add value to local natural resources.
While empowering communities, a national policy and legal framework are necessary to provide guidance, oversight, and support. This includes clear land tenure policies, anti-poaching laws, and mechanisms for conflict resolution, ensuring that CBC operates within a national context.
Whether CBC protects wildlife better than the government is not a matter of superiority, but a call for synergistic integration. Conservation often requires a hybrid model that combines the strengths of both. This “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach, as advocated by frameworks such as the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, emphasizes the role of stakeholders, including local communities and governments, in biodiversity conservation. The integration of local knowledge, socio-cultural practices, and scientific methods in CBC can address localized ecological challenges that traditional top-down strategies might overlook.
For South Sudan, learning from Namibia’s success means recognizing the power of devolving wildlife management and associated benefits to communities. By empowering local populations, establishing equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, building local capacity, and integrating conservation with sustainable livelihoods within a supportive national policy framework, South Sudan can foster a context in which communities become the primary custodians of wildlife, leading to more resilient and effective conservation outcomes. The global evidence suggests that conservation actions, when implemented, generally improve biodiversity or slow its decline, highlighting the positive impact of concerted efforts regardless of the specific governance model.
Leek Daniel is a media specialist & development practitioner and can be reached via leek2daniel@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.