Social factors are important in conflicts between humans and predators. Predation has direct economic costs related to loss of income and food, and indirect economic costs such as time spent avoiding predation. There are also underestimated non-economic costs, related to the sense of uncertainty, insecurity and general disruption to livelihoods caused by the unexpected loss of livestock, which strongly influence human-carnivore interactions. Livestock keepers who choose to join this programme must be prepared to make cultural and behavioural changes, including changing their cultural relationship with predators and dogs.  They must be committed to caring for and managing LGDs in a different way to how they normally interact with dogs. The herder must spend time with the dog in the first few months to ensure that it does not get lost, and must provide food and water on a daily basis.

The establishment of a breeding centre is a fundamental step in carrying out controlled breeding and imprinting of pups. Imprinting is a biological learning process, which is generated in a short period of time, where pups of most species can identify and learn behaviours of any other species. At the centre we provide the conditions for the pups to be in contact with goats and sheep from birth, and until they are four months old, creating a family bond that will make them protective with the livestock. This stage is critical and essential to achieve LGD that are effective in their function and strategic for carnivore conservation. During the imprinting process we take care of the feeding, health, welfare of the puppies and the livestock, while correcting undesirable behaviour in the puppy-livestock bond. After four months the puppies that are already vaccinated, dewormed and neutered, are handed over to the producers where they will finish their training and gradually start working with the livestock.

Partnerships with the provincial Taskforce, which oversaw the project's activities in general, and the provincial Agriculture Extension Center and Farmers’ Union helped achieve the expected results despite travel restrictions owing to COVID-19.

Partnerships with these local partners also led to the later integration of the project’s interventions into provincial partner’s programmes.

Financing support for multi-sector surveillance of zoonotic diseases in wildlife and along wildlife trade chains is essential to improve understanding of pathogen diversity, disease dynamics and potential risks posed by wildlife trade, to support evidence-based decision making, monitor emerging pathogens and support targeted future surveillance and mitigation investments

Building long-term partnerships and capacity for multi-sector surveillance of zoonotic diseases along wildlife trade chains promotes and supports effective One Health collaboration from the spillover frontlines to national and international policy makers, and improved understanding of pathogen diversity, disease dynamics and potential risks posed by wildlife trade. Platforms for regular multi-sector discussion between animal health, environment, enforcement, and human health sectors, as well as with and amongst international and multi-lateral partners, is essential for open discourse and sharing of information on the risks, challenges and opportunities for pandemic prevention. This is critical to improve cross- sectoral trust, understanding, communication and coordination to increase opportunities for effective legislative change and cultural shifts.

Given the lack of experience and the high need for learning and improving the solution, M+E is key. Starting in the nursery how the different seedlings develop, then after planting and in regular intervals. this allows improving the design, to determine the need for soil improvement, suitability of individual species on respective sites and many other aspects - including upscaling to other areas and countries with similar needs and circumstances.

In Abu Dhabi, Breathable Sand technology has helped with the growing of peanuts, mung beans, and black-eyed peas on some farms, while mango and lemon orchids have also shown fruitful results in 18 months.

Most vegetables in Abu Dhabi are imported and/or shipped from nearby cities such as Dubai. Famers now can grow local vegetables and fruits to serve the local families.  The quality of the product is also good, and the water usage is only 20% of what typical needs because uncontrolled infiltration is greatly reduced thanks to the Breathable Sand.

The current farm includes 500-square-meter arable land to plant vegetables and fruits, and 100,000 square meters of land in Ras Al Khaimah is being prepared for additional applications.

Se capacitaron a las comunidades manejadoras de vicuñas y guardaparques durante las campañas de captura (aprovechamiento de la fibra) y liberación de vicuñas silvestres. Los temas abordados incluyen: procedimientos adecuados de bienestar animal y bioseguridad para prevenir la transmisión de sarna, entre animales, y por instrumentos y accesorios de trabajo; bioseguridad frente al Covid-19 para prevenir la transmisión entre personas y de personas a animales silvestres capturados. Asimismo, se realizaron capacitaciones en esquila mecánica y predescerdado de la fibra, en ambos casos, para incrementar la calidad de la fibra de vicuñas obtenida durante las capturas y proporcionar un mayor valor agregado a la misma, ampliando los beneficios para la comunidad.

El monitoreo de las poblaciones de vicuña, realizado en 2006, 2018, 2019 y 2021, evaluando la sarna sarcóptica y otros parásitos en Apolobamba, estableció que la especie mantiene su ratio de incremento poblacional, y que en su mayoría los individuos son saludables. Las prevalencias de sarna son bajas y afectan principalmente a las vicuñas crías y las de mayor edad con una menor condición corporal. Esta enfermedad es actualmente endémica y con bajo impacto, siempre y cuando las vicuñas cuenten con suficiente alimento para mantener una buena condición corporal. Por otro lado, debido al incremento de las actividades mineras, de 50 a 231 en los últimos 10 años, y el uso aproximado de hasta 6 kg/mes de mercurio por cada actividad, ya existe evidencia de contaminación en la especie. Esto se ha verificado mediante registros de mercurio total en sangre de vicuñas, así como en anomalías celulares (genotoxicidad), y representa una amenaza local para la salud humana y de animales silvestres y domésticos.

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.