Sharing tourism revenues

Currently, the natural assets that give Africa its global competitive advantage—its wildlife and landscapes—are under acute threat and could be lost forever unless they urgently prove their economic as well as ecological value.

According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment released in May, this year, land and nature managed by local communities is under increasing pressure, but is declining less rapidly than in other lands.

Matters are worsened when these so-called frontline communities who often face the wrath of wild animals like elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions, hippos and leopards, hardly see benefits.

Joyce Msuya, UNEP’s deputy executive director agreed with the communities noting that when communities living closest to wildlife have a clear role and stake in managing nature, they have a stronger incentive to conserve it.

“A sustainable wildlife economy benefits people and nature, using habitats and wildlife in an ecological, economic and socially sustainable way.”

“It is central to the efforts of African leaders to improve the quality of lives of millions of people on the continent.”

But even as the rosy picture of Africa’s wildlife economy was painted at the summit, there were also disgruntled voices, led by the southern African presidents in regards to the legalization of sale of wildlife resources.

Take for instance, Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe; a country that is at the moment struggling economically even though it has one of the most robust wildlife economies on the continent.

With 26% of its land reserved for wildlife conservation, it is one of the countries on the continent that according to Mnangagwa have kept “God’s promise of being good stewards of His creation.” For this, Mnangagwa said, the international community appears to be punishing Zimbabwe.

The country cannot sell part of their excess elephant population because of a moratorium that was slapped on the jumbos by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Zimbabwe also has in stock US$ 600 million worth of ivory and rhino horn most of which is from natural attrition according to Mnangagwa but this too cannot be sold.

Ahead of the CITES COP 19 summit in Geneva in August, Mnangagwa led the lobbying by southern African governments for the abolishing of the ban on key wildlife products and in particular ivory and rhino horn.

In his key note address to the summit, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe will continue to call for the free trade in hunting products as these have a positive impact on the national and local economies of African countries.

“Thriving wildlife resources have tremendous potential to be instrumental in sustainable socio-economic development through associated wildlife-oriented businesses such as eco-tourism, hunting and photographic safaris.”

“If we are allowed to dispose these stocks under agreed parameters derived from the sale, it would be enough to finance conservation efforts for the next two decades.”

Mnangagwa said proceeds obtained from hunting are re-invested towards provision of water in this era of climate change.

“The animals also need fencing so that quarrels reduce between them and our people and of course law enforcement against poachers requires funding among other conservation initiatives.”

Going forward, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe encourages a world that embraces the principles of a shared responsibility where natural resources are utilized in accordance with the principle of sustainability.

“We encourage a process where accruing benefits from natural resources are fairly and equitably shared among communities living within wildlife conservation areas. This way, wildlife resources add value and improve the quality of life of local communities and the animals themselves.”

It was a mixed picture, however, as delegates from East Africa insisted that all elephant populations on the continent; including the huge herds in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, remain completely protected from hunting and sale.

They say the last time southern African countries asked and got a one-off sale of elephant products to Japan and China, there was a marked increase in poaching across East and southern Africa.

Doreen Robinson, the wildlife unit chief at the UN Environment told The Independent on the sidelines of the summit that the idea of holding the first ever wildlife economy summit was to convene people from across the continent to raise issues and cause agenda change.

“The potential of the wildlife economy in sub-Saharan Africa is enormous and it is even more enormous if you embrace the full concept of wildlife economy,” Robinson said.

“What we are trying to bring to the fore is that wildlife should be on par with other sectors such as agriculture when people are talking about the economy.

“So I think we have the mandate to go forward and start to find better and more tangible solutions for the continent,” Robinson told The Independent.

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