Raising awareness about wildlife conservation

Conservation behaviors  are considered essential actions that tremendously influence ecosystems. Environmental behaviors are essential to ecological conservation and to environmental protection.It is important to involve the citizens in the domain of the conservation of the environment and biodiversity conservation. Our scientific studies revealed that the respondents reported a lower level of practices in the conservation of species. Solutions have been initiated, the most important of which is to educate the inhabitants to encourage them to conserve the species. Education sessions were carried out by the author and his collaborators during the two las decades with local inhabitants, students, associations and authorities. As part of their scientific research, they visited most of the villages. They discuss with people the ecological and economic roles of biodiversity and the importance of conserving it.

In recent years, the roles of wild animals in their ecosystems have been more widely appreciated and today, the management of biodiversity is a priority for the Moroccan Government, authorities, NGO and civil society.

The local people opinion plays a vital role in the conservation of biodiversity and environment. In general, when inhabitants understand the ecological and economic roles of wild fauna, they spontaneously participate in its conservation.

Developing effective local people-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies

The human-local people conflict may act as factors in the decline of biodiversity. Our scientific studies showed that there is an increasing in the local people-wildlife conflict in the central High Atlas.The predation of livestock (carnivore species) and Crop raiding (wild boar, Barbary macaque, etc.) are the main causes of the local people-wildlife conflict and of negative attitudes toward the wild species. Several techniques were proposed to reduce the risk of depredation of livestock by wilds predators and and the risk of crop damage by Herbivorous species:

- 1. Education to raise the awareness of the local people about the ecological and economical roles of wildlife and provide the public with information on the benefits of wild animals and their ecological and economical roles.

2. Encourage residents to use some techniques to protect livestock and to keep wild animals away, such as a livestock guard dogs, prompt and proper disposal of livestock carcasses to eliminate attractants that could draw carnivores, and monitoring and pasturing of livestock and fields.

3. We are currently preparing a compensation programs to assist local people by reimbursing them for losses attributable to wild canids.

 

 

1. The contributor is a researcher who was born and lived in the central High Atlas for 40 years. He is known in the region, which facilitates the transmission of messages about biodiversity conservation. He communicates with the local inhabitants through the Tamazight language, which is the native language of the contributor. He also participates in several educational, cultural and scientific activities in this region.

2. The central High Atlas encompass an area of 10 502 km² and have a rich and varied biological diversity.
 

 

Education and the awareness-Raising Session for Local Officials and Communities on the Importance of wildlife conservation, and the use of possible and simple techniques to keep wild animals away  mitigate the conflict between local people and wildlife and and it resulted the conservation of species and habitats .

Identification and sthrength of OECM in Colombia

For the last 60 years, a great number of rightsholders in Colombia have promoted sustainable management and biodiversity conservation of their territories beyond protected areas, even though their conservation efforts have not been recognized as important elements of climate-smart land planning and have very little governmental support. 

 

The project’s overarching goal is to strengthen and make visible the culturally rich and socially diverse conservation and sustainable production initiatives that different Colombian actors are implementing, as a contribution to sustainable development that does not impoverish the country's natural patrimony.

 

As their identification as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) is an opportunity to visualize those efforts, Resnatur and partners have been working for several years in adapting the OECM identification criteria to the Colombian context together with 27 initiatives, according to the international framework. 

 

This project contributes to the implementation in Colombia of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Decision 14/8 of 2018 that “Encourages Parties and invites others, in collaboration with indigenous peoples and local communities, to apply … …advice on OECMs”; … “Identifying OECMs and their diverse options within their jurisdiction;”

  • The adaptation of the international framework and especially the OECM criteria of the IUCN guidelines and the Decision 14/8 of 2018 to the Colombian context.
  • The application of OECM criteria on a case by case basis.
  • The development of two methodological processes to apply the OECM criteria and to identify the elements to be strengthened.

• OECM framework allows to recognize other forms of conservation and governance.

• Capacity building is needed to apply the OECM criteria in a bigger scale.

• National authorities should be involved in the discussion on how to apply the criteria.

• More resources will be needed to identify OECMs and to monitor the biodiversity outcomes.

• OECMs must be areas maintaining high biodiversity value. There is a necessity to develop participative monitoring methodologies.

• OECMs are an oportunity to increase connectivity, effectiveness and climate change adaptation of protected areas systems.

• OECMs are key elements to Post 2020 Biodiversity framework goals.

Participatory mapping for management

Participatory mapping is undertaken with communities to understand spatial patterns (land use, land tenure, land cover type and historical change and trend) and the state and use of mangrove resources in the project area.The participatory mapping creates maps which will later support the management planning and zoning. Google Earth imagery covering the whole area of interest (AOI) combined with questionnaires is used to assess community perceptions of resource use. All stakeholders (farmers, loggers, fuel wood collectors, charcoal producers, lime makers, elders and fishers), identified through interviews with key informants, are involved in this exercise and create a resource use map of the AOI. They are divided according to activity groups of 5 or more. Only one person is designated to the group to draw the boundary of each land use type on the map. Ideally each group should be assisted by one staff member from the support organization. Each group comprises a range of sex and age (male and female/young and old) that are already active in the respective activities (usually over 15 years old).

  • High resolution Google Earth map of the area is available and contains familiar landmarks (e.g school building, church) to facilitate community reading.

  • The questionnaires for the stakeholders aiming to gather additional information about the resources used are available and translated into local dialect to avoid confusion.

  • Good engagement with the community in advance of the mapping to ensure convenient timing and optimal participation. 

  • The mapping exercise should last 2-3 hours to enable community members to balance participation with other commitments. 

  • The staff from the support organization should be familiar with the local dialect and avoid using scientific/very technical words.

  • Consensus between groups must be respected before drawing/delineating the boundary on the map.

  • The facilitator must be able to make a quick analysis of information given by the community during the exercise.

Conservation Gains Will Only Come through Partnerships

Conserving nature requires the involvement of many players, each having different goals, thus advances can only be made through partnerships. Here we have formed a very successful partnership between the provision of health care and conservation. This involves partnerships between the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Ministry of Health, local government, Makerere University, Wilson Center, George Washington University, McGill University, Wildlife Conservation Society, and international donors.

Colin Chapman has worked in Uganda for 32+ years, trained 58 advanced degree students (many are now in position of authority in Uganda), worked with the Uganda Wildlife Authority since its inception, and is well respected by the local community.

Forming meaningful partnerships, where the goals of all partners can be met, is the only way to produce meaningful conservation advances.

Bushmeat Hunting and Resource Extraction are a Constant Threat to Biodiversity

The bushmeat trade is a large industry that is decimating many wildlife populations, even those in protected areas. It is estimated that up to 4 million tonnes of bushmeat are extracted each year from Central Africa alone ( the weight of ~5.7 million cattle).  For the people’s perspective the resources from parks allow them to feed their families and raise money to send children to school.

We have been greatly aided by the Uganda Wildlife Authority that protects the part, monitors illegal encroachment and engages in revenue sharing and outreach to help local people. The mission statement of the Uganda Wildlife Authority is to “To conserve, economically develop and sustainably manage the wildlife and protected areas of Uganda in partnership with neighboring communities and other stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda and the global community.”

Through the hard work of a Ugandan Wildlife Authority, we have been able to analyze data on the poaching level and understand the economic pressures causing increased activities and which conservation actions are effective at decreasing these activities. We have learned that our joint efforts have led to forest recovery the growth of wildlife populations in the park

Health Care is a Pressing Need That Can be Affordably Provided to Many Around Parks

In the case of tropical health, most suffering is NOT caused by a lack of effective drugs or technology, rather it is due to the simple but critical lack of accessibility to health knowledge and services. In Uganda alone, 30% of all deaths among children between the ages of 2 and 4 are caused by malaria, a disease that could be easily treated or prevented, and 26% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. These trends are most severe in remote regions where health services and education are extremely limited. Remote areas are also often home to protected areas for wildlife.  Through local clinics or mobile clinics, it is possible to provide critical health services to many people at a small cost per individual.  The number of people receiving benefits  are many times greater than other types of revenue sharing, such as ecotourism.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority, manage national parks, and they have enabled our outreach by providing a ranger to talk to the communities whenever the mobile clinic is in actions.  They have also provided the driver.  The Ministry of Health has provided us up to 3 local nurses to accompany the mobile clinic.  Furthermore, the Ministry provides many drugs for free, including medicine for HIV, deworming, and vaccinations.  The vaccinations will be particularly important this coming year to beat back COVID.

Through the hard work of a Ugandan student, we demonstrated that by providing health care through our mobile clinic, we can improve how the local people perceive the park - improving parks-people relationships.  Long-term monitoring of wildlife populations show that this corresponds to increases in wildlife populations.

4. Internal and external communication.

Communication enables an understanding of the objectives and the actions that have been taken to achieve adoption of the principles that sustain the program, by all the members of the organization and the local community. It is a way to highlight the effort made and the policies implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of the productive processes. Communication within the organization allows dissemination of the vision, values and actions put in place to improve environmental performance, the commitment to the community and the quality of the products offered External communication specifically allows dissemination of the organization's efforts to improve its productive and environmental performance to the local community, buyers, suppliers and any other social actor relevant to their interests. 

Having smooth internal communication mechanisms between the company and the staff; and the presence of external local/regional media interested in production/environment topics.

1- Due to internal communication, employees develop a sense of appreciation and commitment towards the actions carried out by the company, which are then transferred to their family and social environments. 
2- The alliance between the company and civil society in communication matters, increases the credibility of messages, especially if the communication comes from civil society.
3- The positive response of people to communication processes increases trust in what has been done and the company's commitment.
 

EP RESOLUTION 2

A method of combating plastic pollution and organic matter in the ocean.

The EP in collaboration with O.I.N.G PACO have set up a multi-community committee for the environment. Collective action to combat plastic pollution in the towns of the African community.

1. Effective coordination mechanisms, but less practical

2. B1000B waste management methods effective and implemented progressively

PE RESOLUTION

program created to contribute to sustainable development
the ability of states to better control the movement of populations in order to preserve the environment.
the environment.

Program goal :
(First phase)
1. study new methods and carry out in-depth research to develop new
new technologies for the development of the
ENVIRECOLOGY
2. Teach and train future Doctors, Experts, Specialists and Practitioners in the
Envirecology profession
3. Create and develop new scientific and technical bases and strengthen the methodology
methodology and expertise of Men and Women in favour of
ENVIRECOLOGY

Teaching list :

1. Certain geographical areas in Cameroon require in-depth studies in soil management,

2. The microclimate is difficult to adapt to,

3. The communities in the various regions are experiencing growth due to a lack of rehabilitation,

4. Public spaces require constant assistance to minimize the environmental footprint in urban environments,

Solutions with less impact :

1. Behavior change,

2. Unsanitary conditions,

3. Adaptation methods for behavior change,