Collaboration is the key in the fight for conservation
Hina West, Director, WWF Nature Pays
As the Africa Protected Areas Congress convened in Rwanda, WWF Nature Pays Director Hina West looks at how a coming together of leaders and like-minded conservationists could provide the solutions the planet needs.
Hope, not fear. That’s what was on the agenda this week as leaders from across Africa and around the world gathered to discuss and find solutions to conserving nature, safeguarding wildlife and delivering vital, life supporting ecosystems.
At the Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) in Kigali, Rwanda, we looked for real antidotes to the challenges humans, the environment and the climate is facing. We collaborated in a way which brings about action, encourages inclusivity and opens access to markets, enabling more sustainable livelihoods — solutions, not salutations.
At WWF we believe strongly that an Africa-led approach is what’s needed and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating effects it’s had on the world, that building new business models, inclusively alongside communities such as around ecotourism will be a strong part of the recovery process.
In attending APAC I also had a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit a family of mountain gorillas and see first-hand local communities directly benefiting from nature with a sustainable living through eco-tourism (or as we call it at WWF Nature Pays) . Crucially, it was the chance to see how some of the work implemented by our partners illustrates WWF’s Nature Pays approach.
The overall aim of the Congress was to position Africa’s protected and conserved areas within the broader goals of economic and community well-being. WWF has been involved in establishing and managing Protected Areas globally for many years and we had a strong presence at the Congress.
In addition to co-creating interactive sessions, we were involved in over 50 sessions, highlighting best practice and contributing to the biodiversity agenda. We encouraged community-led conservation, addressing challenges to ensure their effective governance, supporting long-term finance, as well as bringing innovation in managing protected and conserved areas.
Finding solutions
One of the first sessions I co-created was about partnerships and how we scale social and environmental impacts. We heard from our partners from Salonga National Park and the Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL) in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo who focused on our trans-boundary operating models, from the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) and from global partnership friends at TechnoServe.
We talked about the challenges colleagues from the GVL are facing — including issues with unemployed youth. We discussed taking learnings from viable business models, such as from the successful programmes like our partnership with the Maasai Beekeeping Initiative in Kenya, which has seen over 1,800 hives installed in Narok County, Kenya.
From a private sector engagement perspective we discussed the imbalance in power dynamics and that market access — upscaling and taking these sustainable products to consumers — is as important as quality production.
We need to focus on communities at the heart, establish new funding models and practices, and allow them to lead the agenda. We need to be clear on their objectives — it’s not always conservation first for them. We need to correct the sometimes top-down approach we have in the sector.
Strategically, I learned that how we do conservation needs to be more dynamic, with a focus on resilience and preparing for future public health or climate disasters.
Practically, we agreed to explore how our global non-profit partner, TechnoServe, could strengthen our work in Salonga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are already collaborating with them in Oaxacan communities in Mexico, and across Africa on food system transformation and these experiences have established a trusted partnership that we can be built on to benefit the communities of Salonga.
There were many ideas for change — most of which rely on partnerships to help unlock solutions. Overall finance was a huge topic for consideration. We were told that many banks expect enterprises to have a $3 million turnover. This is neither realistic nor in alignment with where investment is needed most. and doesn’t consider a lack of confidence in some community enterprises owners about the high risk associated with bank loans.
So to some solutions, TechnoServe shared ideas on how they can give access to tools and training on financial literacy, responsible lending and minimizing financial risk.
Finally, there was a very real desire to work on market access. We know at Nature Pays this is the key to success! Ideas can’t just be great, they need to be sustainable and available to more people.
Africa strategy
During the Congress, WWF Africa launched its strategy which sets out our commitment to “Making Nature Everyone’s Business”, debunking the myths that conservation is at odds with Africa’s aspirations for economic and social development and that conservation of nature is the business of the elite few.
“This strategy seeks to reframe the narrative by demonstrating that conservation of nature and economic development can co-exist in “shared spaces”, and protecting, sustainably managing and restoring nature is not just the business of conservation organisations,” Alice Ruhweza, WWF Africa Regional Director, who set out this new vision said.
“It is the shared business of everyone, everywhere — and we need all hands on deck.”
This is being supported by WWF colleagues around the world. “This plan consolidates our work in Africa across 14 countries, seven priority landscapes, and a portfolio of regional programs into one strategy aligned to our Global Goals, which include zero loss of natural habitats, zero extinction of species and halving footprint of consumption and production,” siad Marco Lambertini, WWF Director-General.
We encouraged that any commitments made must contribute to nature conservation, climate adaptation and mitigation and advance the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Renewed appetite for change
This meeting of leaders and like-minded people from 53 African countries and 27 others around the world was like no other I’ve attended. There was an overwhelming message of hope for the practical ways we can protect our planet.
At WWF we welcome the Kigali Call to Action, which puts people at the centre of effective conservation and we are heartened to see government leaders from across Africa recognise the importance of PCAs in protecting the health and wellbeing of their people.
There is now renewed political will shown by African governments towards over 8,600 protected and conserved areas on the continent which my colleague Alice welcomes. “African governments, conservation organisations, private sector, civil society, and society at large must build on the enthusiasm, energy and momentum we have generated here in Kigali to ensure the call to action is fully implemented,” she said.
From my point of view, we’ve achieved what we set out to do at APAC — to share learnings, ideas, challenges, opportunities and solutions. We will take the outcomes forward, using them in our teams and turning insights into programme development tools to engage stakeholders and the private sector.
Longer term, there’s still a long way to go. We need to continue to create inclusive, sustainable and nature positive African development pathways, where the value of nature is harnessed for the prosperity of both people and planet.
As our final session drew to a close, so too did my week in Rwanda. The overwhelming insight is that what we are facing is too big to fight alone. We need collaboration and through these new found and strengthened connections, I’m hopeful we will find it.
