MEP used Mali’s decentralisation legislation to create, with local people, a model of “elephant-centred” CBNRM. This legislation performed a vital enabling function that resulted in a model of resource governance at the village and commune levels, that was enshrined in local and commune conventions, as well as the commune socio-economic development plans. The MEP then worked with government to further reinforce these systems by drafting new legislation that created a new protected area covering the whole of the elephant migration route using a biosphere model which supported the community conventions. The aim was to give a mandate to the government foresters to be able to support local communities in the enforcement of their conventions if need be, thereby strengthening the community systems. This aligns government and community interests to mutually reinforce each other and provide a cost-effective approach to reserve management. This top-down approach complements the bottom-up approach of community engagement.

Livestock plays a critical social and economic role in Laikipia – over 50% of the land is under livestock production. This building block aims to support local rural communities increase livestock productivity whilst reducing environmental damage. The approach supports livelihoods as well as addresses key threats to biodiversity.

Livestock extension services improve skills and knowledge in all aspects of livestock husbandry and natural resource management. Artificial insemination services are provided at affordable prices to improve cattle quality and can demand higher prices. Training and support are provided on:

• Husbandry – livestock disease management, health care, administration of drugs to prevent disease.
• Resource management – water and land management including best practice grazing management to support livestock and reduce land degradation.
• Alternative micro-enterprise – aimed at women and youth, support in establishing enterprises such as poultry and beekeeping.

Trained farmers are encouraged to share their knowledge and skills with other community members. This approach means more people are reached. Livelihoods are enhanced as well as building support for conservation through benefit-sharing.

The innovative integrated land management approach was pioneered by Ol Pejeta and other conservancies in Laikipia County, Kenya. It is a nature-based solution that enables a healthy habitat for wildlife and generates income that can be reinvested in conservation and community development. The approach has been implemented since 2004, along with a community development programme that includes agriculture extension services.

Cattle are integrated with wildlife across the conservancy in carefully managed grazing patterns that replicate the ancient movement of vast herds of ungulates that used to roam the land. As cattle are moved across the rangeland, grasses are kept short and healthy, encouraging those species and new growth that sustains wild herbivores. Cattle are kept in mobile bomas overnight to protect them from predation. This concentration also creates ecological hotspots where manure fertilizes new grass growth. The bomas are relocated every 1–14 days, depending on the weather.

The grass-fed cattle are of high quality and demand premium prices. They are sold under our Conservation Beef brand, generating income for Ol Pejeta. This approach means the land is productive as well as provides healthy habitat that supports a wide range of wildlife species. It also enables benefit-sharing of conservation for communities.

In order to enable community-based, participatory and inclusive conservation, local development is a very important and relevant component in the implementation of our actions.

That's why we decided to initiate an approach centered on local communities living near the biotopes we are promoting for the conservation of bonobos and their associated habitats. By responding favorably to community needs and feelings, and by supporting them in the rational, reasoned and sustainable management of their natural and acquired resources, we have achieved success rates of up to 85% for our solution.

The various micro-projects put in place (goat rearing, pig rearing and pilot fish farming; family vegetable gardens; micro-trades and others) have been replicated by the beneficiary associations and by 75% of the inhabitants throughout the project area, and have helped to increase the income of local communities, enabling them to meet their material, financial and food needs. So far, this has been an effective solution to the problem of preserving biodiversity in general, and bonobos and their habitats in particular.

To achieve community-based, participatory conservation of bonobos and their associated habitat, we believe it is essential to monitor primates, i.e. bonobos and other species of small monkeys, as well as other species of large fauna. To this end, the NGO GACEBB is working with local communities to select Community Trackers (CTs) with proven expertise in the forest in question to carry out ecological monitoring of these species, and to record on a pre-established form whether the numbers of the flagship species (the bonobo) are increasing or decreasing, and also whether human pressures are decreasing or increasing, as well as ascertaining whether or not other species of large fauna are present.

The project had a number of innovative elements. It brought together the elements of a smartphone (camera, gps, dropdown menu's) and designed a recreational site management system to utilise them - this is a world first.
It is an open system so additional devices can be added - people counters, flood monitors all via Internet of things (IOT)

Through this project I have brought together a number or local and national partners:

Organisation                                                      
Burren Geopark                                                
Clare Local Development Company         
Dept of Rural & Community Affairs                   

National Parks and Wildlife Service          
Purpose
Each partner has either a local or national remit for an area in the project. By bringing them together we pool the resources and knowledge to deliver the system
 

Biodiversity stewardship can be important to realising the ecological, economic and social benefits that healthy ecosystems can deliver over the long term. Biodiversity stewardship can stimulate rural economic development by creating a focus for nature-based tourism and sustainable natural resource use. This assists in the diversification of rural livelihoods, especially in agriculturally marginal areas. Biodiversity stewardship sites can also support job creation and skills development through direct land management and restoration, or indirectly through compatible commercial activities. In South Africa, land reform often results in new communal land ownership. In these areas, biodiversity stewardship can help to ensure access to the economic opportunities associated with protected areas.

Biodiversity stewardship is an approach to entering into agreements with private and communal landowners to protect and manage land in biodiversity priority areas, led by conservation authorities in South Africa. It recognises landowners as the custodians of biodiversity on their land. Biodiversity stewardship is based on voluntary commitments from landowners, with a range of different types of biodiversity stewardship agreements available to support conservation and sustainable resource use. Some types of biodiversity stewardship agreements are formally declared as protected areas in terms of the Protected Areas Act, providing long-term security for the sites involved.

Using manual labour allows for selective removal of invasive plants. This protects the other native vegetation in the area, allowing for the native vegetation and grasses to grow back in the following months whereas when using heavy machinery, the top layer of soil in addition to the grass and native vegetation are removed. Using heavy machinery also removes vital seed banks of native plants, which further facilitates the spread of invasive plants.

It is critical to remove the IAS before the seeds mature and disperse. Through this project, we aim to remove as much IAS growth as possible manually (inclusive of roots), before they shed seeds. The remaining plants, which are more difficult to uproot, will be removed via a ‘slasher’ and the roots will be removed manually, at a later stage, when the soil is moist and plants may be easily uprooted. FEO has observed regrowth of grass after a couple weeks of IAS removal and the growth of native vegetation inhibits the regrowth of invasive species in the cleared areas.