Implementation | PANORAMA

Coordinación multisectorial para el monitoreo, vigilancia y manejo adecuado de vicuñas

Mujer esquiladora mostrando la fibra obtenida de vicuñas liberadas en el área protegida de Apolobamba

El fortalecimiento de lazos de confianza entre las comunidades manejadoras de vicuñas y el área protegida (trabajamos en conjunto hace 17 años), y con la Asociación Nacional de Manejadores de Vicuñas (trabajamos en conjunto hace 3 años), es crítico para fortalecer la conservación de la vicuña y de su hábitat. Esto ha permitido realizar monitoreos sobre el crecimiento poblacional y la sanidad de las vicuñas; realizar vigilancia de contaminantes y su impacto en la especie; desarrollar capacidades en bienestar animal, bioseguridad; obtener fibra de mayor calidad; e iniciar, recientemente, una línea base sobre la depredación de vicuñas y ganado por perros pastores, así como el estado de salud y de bienestar de los perros.

- Apoyo y compromiso de las comunidades manejadoras de vicuñas de Apolobamba.

- Apoyo y compromiso del área protegida SERNAP Apolobamba.

- Apoyo y compromiso de la ACOFIVB - Asociación para la Comercialización de la Fibra de Vicuñas en Bolivia.

- Complementariedad con otras organizaciones conservacionistas como la AGA - Alianza Gato Andino.

- Involucrar constantemente a los diferentes sectores permitió establecer una mayor confianza de trabajo conjunto, favoreciendo el cumplimiento de nuestros objetivos.

- Los esfuerzos en capacitaciones sobre el manejo de las vicuñas en silvestría con estándares de bienestar animal y sanidad, y de la fibra obtenida con mejor calidad y mejores ingresos para los comunarios, son impulsores de la conservación de la especie y su hábitat.

Newsletter Darwin Initiative

Convenio entre WCS y la Asociación Comunitaria para la Comercialización de la F…

Image recognition algorithms for jaguar detection and identification

Jaguar identification model

Tech4Nature Mexico

The image recognition component, based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) in the framework of the Tech4Nature Mexico pilot, plays a fundamental role by: i) Automatically detecting the presence of jaguars in camera trap captures, thus speeding up data processing; and ii) Automatically identifying individual jaguars in the region, which enhances the understanding of local populations. This approach is of vital importance in conservation by taking advantage of advanced methods that allow a faster and more detailed analysis.

Data collected from the devices and strategic alliances with Huawei, UPY, and other expert conservation organizations for data sharing. During a full school year, a group of young data engineering students from UPY were dedicated to the development of the image recognition models. Given the possibility that the models could be biased in the recognition of jaguars due to the students' lack of experience in monitoring this species, the group received training and feedback from a biologist specialized in feline conservation in Yucatan.

We faced a considerable challenge in developing automatic models for the detection and identification of jaguars in images. This task is complicated not only by the scarcity of available data, but also by the limited amount of images captured by camera traps containing the species of interest, due to its critical conservation status. These obstacles have been notable in the initial stages of the project, prompting us to collect animal images from a variety of sources to expand our dataset. However, complexity increases at this stage due to additional factors.

Implementation

Local

Bioscanner platform

Camera traps and eco-acoustic monitoring devices deployment

Benjamin Campos deploying an audiomoth

Tech4Nature Mexico

The local team strategically placed 15 camera traps and 30 eco-acoustic monitoring devices (audiomoths) within the mangrove and lowland rainforest habitats where jaguars have been previously sighted. This deployment effectively captured the region's biodiversity and generated valuable data for subsequent analysis.

Field research, in conjunction with active participation from the local community and insights gained from co-design efforts, pinpointed the optimal locations for deploying cameras and audiomoths. These devices were strategically positioned in less disturbed areas of the mangroves, jungles, and savannahs, ensuring the success of our scientific survey.

Collaborative site characterization and mapping with the local community served as a crucial foundation for the successful deployment of these devices. However, we also encountered challenges, including wildfires and extreme events, which temporarily impeded both device placement and data collection efforts.

Implementation

Local

Livelihood focus

The community members developed their vision journeys to systematically track use of the benfits. This allowed members to use the proceeds for their desired purposes. For example building decent houses

Extnsion workers assisting community on visioning

Prior formaulation of Vision journeys ensure community achieve desired goals

Community monitoring of individual performance encourages members

Implementation

Local

Clan approach

To prevent conflict the community divided itself into clans. Each clan manages its portion of the plantation. The heads of the clans comprise the executive committee. The community uses unform work plan to emsure activities are done timely. The approach has led zero conflicts and smooth running of the plantation business.

Social cohesion

existing relationships

Caln approach reduces conflicts among community memebrs on a common resource

Reliance on fellow relations leading to continuity of the activities

Implementation

Local

Empowerment of all actors involved is key

The success of forest management and restoration efforts has also hinged on the knowledge and skills acquired by the local forest organizations such as Village Natural Resources Management Committees. This has enabled the committee members to successfully implement ANR and fire prevention activities while adhering to good leadership skills to allow increased participation in restoration activities.

Community empowerment is a key enabling factor to consider within this building block because activities being implemented by the community members are as a result of the trainings/capacity building efforts by committed extension workers and other community leaders

Training acts as an incentive for communities to participate in restoration efforts because the knowledge gained is applied on their land.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Strong leadership and partnerships key to restoration

Forest landscape restoration efforts require a willing and enthusiastic social system led by Traditional Leaders who are traditionally custodians of customary land. The success of this solution has largely hinged on strong leadership and partnerships within.

Community Participation is a key enabling factor that is required for meaningful progress in the activities that are happening in the community. This is because without active participation they will not be any progress.
The political environment also plays a part in enabling restoration. Political leadership that provides guidance to communities for sustainable management of forest resources is always preferred.

Community Expectations. It is very important to manage the community's expectations through most activities concerning natural resource management. Most communities expect immediate results when it comes to working on forestry restoration and this presents a problem where they can get discouraged like some community members not participating in the activities.
Partnership is Key. For a smooth process of activities, the partnership is key between community members, government officials as well as Non-governmental organisations. It defines the roles to be played by all stakeholders
Leadership. Leadership determines the type of natural resources governance. Strong community leadership has been found to contribute to the better management of forests.
Youth participation is key. In order to have sustainable development, youth involvement is key since youth are the leaders of tomorrow.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Accountability is key to governance and management

Signing the Forest Co-Management Agreement

Eliam Kamanga

TA Kamenya Gwaza and TA Kachindamoto signing the FCM agreement with the District Council and the DoF

Eliam Kamanga

In an effort to promote improved governance and management, the DoF and MCHF supported the development of a tripartite forest co-management agreement between the DoF, the District Council, and the local communities (represented by the TAs). Roles and responsibilities--including specific roles and commitments from supporting actors (including Malawi Police Service, Ministry of Justice, etc.) help stakeholders to hold one another accountable.

The forest-co-management agreement has been informed by a forest management plan, developed with data from the NFI and from a series of community consultations. This also resulted ion the identification and prioritization of degradation/restoration hotspots.

Evidence of implementation is important to incentivize and motivate partners to continue investing in forest co-management

Capitalizing on strong local leadership and partnerships with government and others

Land with the FR reclaimed from encroachers

Ponsillio Bwallo

Community sensitization meeting

Ponsillio Bwallo

The following building blocks have contributed to the success of the restoration realized to date.

Strong local leadership: Strong leadership by the Traditional Authorities and local committees facilitated participation, engagement, and buy-in.
Partnership with government departments: The GoM delivers timely training and support
Partnership with local and international NGOs.

The organization supported beneficiaries with resources including data, training/capacity building, and in some cases tools.

The factors that enabled success to date included building on the recognition that local leaders are the most trusted agents of development. Without the buy-in and strong leadership of the Traditional Authority (and his Group Village Headmen), getting the buy-in of the communities would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Lessons learned to date include:

Information, awareness, and advocacy are critical to community-led problem identification and problem-solving, and are prerequisites to community participation in "solutions".
Community participation in development work results in less costs in the implementation of activities.
Partnerships and collaboration with District Council and the Area Development Committee, and with non-governmental organizations are key to sourcing required technical support e.g., ANR and firebreak construction.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Mua-Livulezi tripartite co-management agreement

- Enforcement and prosecution

This block is very crucial because it ensures that there is law and order in the communities. It involves setting up by-laws that guide in implementing the project initiative. It also involves putting penalties against particular illegal activities, e.g. cutting trees without permission. These laws are better enforced when the communities make them on their own while facilitated by the extension worker.

Enabling factors include: involvement of traditional leaders and also making the laws by the whole community at large.

We learned that stiff penalties for offenders were necessary to deter others from committing similar offenses.