Urgently improve resourcing for protected areas
Congress participants said that Africa's protected and conserved areas hold unique competitive advantages for addressing poverty and building resilient communities.
Urgent action is needed to address the significant under-resourcing of Africa’s protected and conserved areas.
This should be undertaken through a range of instruments, including increased government funding, public-private partnerships, trust funds and innovative financing mechanisms, such as carbon trading.
This is according to the Kigali Call to Action which was signed by more than 2 400 participants from 53 African and 27 other countries.
The countries all recently participated in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Africa Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
Under the theme ‘For People and Nature’, the congress identified priority actions to strengthen Africa’s protected and conserved areas in a manner that is just, equitable and fair.
Priorities
These actions include a strengthening of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, greater public and private financial investment in nature conservation and protected and conserved areas, and enhanced Pan-African collaboration, cooperation and partnership for protected and conserved area systems throughout the continent.
The Call to Action document states that African governments should integrate environmental priorities in economic and financial planning that will address the biodiversity and climate crises and sustain the economic value of protected and conserved areas in the further development and expansion of the wildlife economy.
It says that past and ongoing injustices experienced when indigenous peoples and local communities have not been accorded their rights, roles, responsibilities and expectations in the pursuit of conservation goals, must be acknowledged and these injustices should be halted now and in the future.
Greater investments
“We call for a mechanism to hear their voices, understand options for resolution of their grievances and reach agreement on remedies that will rebuild confidence, and for the relationship between conservation and people to be restored and respected, so that nature conservation in Africa puts people at the centre.”
The call to action is also demanding for greater public and private investment in nature conservation and protected and conserved areas concomitant with their value and the flow of ecosystem services in the wider production landscapes and seascapes, to support human livelihoods and well-being.
The signatories also called for stronger support and resourcing of rangers, including community rangers accountable to communities to conduct their critical and diverse work professionally, responsibly and accountably in a way that respects human rights.
Unique advantages
Participants said that strategies are needed to resolve human-wildlife conflict and called for the establishment of a special fund to compensate communities affected by human-wildlife conflict.
They said that Africa’s protected and conserved areas hold unique competitive advantages for addressing poverty and building resilient communities.
Africa’s protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are the backbone of natural infrastructure underpinning development aspirations on the continent, the participants said.
Moreover, they said Africa’s protected and conserved areas contribute significantly to economic development at local and national levels, generating services that support the surrounding production landscapes and seascapes, and supporting the livelihoods of local communities through sustainable use and employment, especially through tourism.
They said that mainstreaming biodiversity conservation considerations in the production sectors of the economy is key for realising the full potential of Africa’s growth, and the empowerment of its people.
“However, it is not just the volume of funding that matters, but the way it is used to address the most important threats and weaknesses through fair and equitable access to decision making by all of those involved in governance and management in determining priorities, including rights-holders and stakeholders.”
This should be undertaken through a range of instruments, including increased government funding, public-private partnerships, trust funds and innovative financing mechanisms, such as carbon trading.
This is according to the Kigali Call to Action which was signed by more than 2 400 participants from 53 African and 27 other countries.
The countries all recently participated in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Africa Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
Under the theme ‘For People and Nature’, the congress identified priority actions to strengthen Africa’s protected and conserved areas in a manner that is just, equitable and fair.
Priorities
These actions include a strengthening of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, greater public and private financial investment in nature conservation and protected and conserved areas, and enhanced Pan-African collaboration, cooperation and partnership for protected and conserved area systems throughout the continent.
The Call to Action document states that African governments should integrate environmental priorities in economic and financial planning that will address the biodiversity and climate crises and sustain the economic value of protected and conserved areas in the further development and expansion of the wildlife economy.
It says that past and ongoing injustices experienced when indigenous peoples and local communities have not been accorded their rights, roles, responsibilities and expectations in the pursuit of conservation goals, must be acknowledged and these injustices should be halted now and in the future.
Greater investments
“We call for a mechanism to hear their voices, understand options for resolution of their grievances and reach agreement on remedies that will rebuild confidence, and for the relationship between conservation and people to be restored and respected, so that nature conservation in Africa puts people at the centre.”
The call to action is also demanding for greater public and private investment in nature conservation and protected and conserved areas concomitant with their value and the flow of ecosystem services in the wider production landscapes and seascapes, to support human livelihoods and well-being.
The signatories also called for stronger support and resourcing of rangers, including community rangers accountable to communities to conduct their critical and diverse work professionally, responsibly and accountably in a way that respects human rights.
Unique advantages
Participants said that strategies are needed to resolve human-wildlife conflict and called for the establishment of a special fund to compensate communities affected by human-wildlife conflict.
They said that Africa’s protected and conserved areas hold unique competitive advantages for addressing poverty and building resilient communities.
Africa’s protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are the backbone of natural infrastructure underpinning development aspirations on the continent, the participants said.
Moreover, they said Africa’s protected and conserved areas contribute significantly to economic development at local and national levels, generating services that support the surrounding production landscapes and seascapes, and supporting the livelihoods of local communities through sustainable use and employment, especially through tourism.
They said that mainstreaming biodiversity conservation considerations in the production sectors of the economy is key for realising the full potential of Africa’s growth, and the empowerment of its people.
“However, it is not just the volume of funding that matters, but the way it is used to address the most important threats and weaknesses through fair and equitable access to decision making by all of those involved in governance and management in determining priorities, including rights-holders and stakeholders.”
Comments
Harry Tjihukununa
Action will be louder than words if we put the funding to our mouth-pieces!