Enhancing Governance and Conservation in biodiversity protected area management.
Governance was seen as one of the key challenges in community conservation and biodiversity management of protected areas in Zambia. A project aimed at Enhancing the Governance of CBNRM for a better conservation outcome and Social Outcome through addressing priorities for improved management and governance was initiated. A Site Level Assessment for Governance and Equity (SAGE) and the Governance Assessment for Protected Areas (GAPA) were used to identify governance gaps and develop actions through stakeholder participation. This project was implemented in 6 GMAs in Kafue and Lower Zambezi landscapes. The activities were done in 12 CRBs and 67 VAGs and more than 60% of women and youth participated in the capacity-building program.
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The key challenges addressed included governance issues (such as lack of awareness, unfair application of law enforcement, human-wildlife conflicts, lack of stakeholder coordination, and threats to biodiversity conservation through unsustainable use of resources and low benefits accruing to the local communities.
The challenges were addressed by developing the capacity of CBOs in CBNRM to enhance governance and contribute to the biodiversity management of protected areas. It uses both SAGE and GAPA tools to assess the performance of site Level governance and equity at the protected area level. Based on the baseline survey and action planning, activities were identified and the project facilitated support to address some of the governance issues such as encouraging dialogue on encroachment, law enforcement, information sharing, and stakeholder coordination.
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Summary of the process
The development of site level profile and governance gap analysis works out as a baseline to help understand the issues at the site level, then leads into stakeholder engagement and collaboration which becomes essential in having a shared vision and tasks including pulling resources together. This process then assists in formulating collective actions, communicating the project outcomes and an ongoing support through, mentorship, coughing and training. This leads into, and through a peer to peer, mechanisms to learn, adopt and adapt to the issues and interaction and how to overcome governance challenges and achieve conservation and social outcomes in the protected area management.
Building Blocks
Site-level profile and governance gap analysis
A brief site-level profile (baseline) was developed to assist in understanding the governance gaps and issues in the targeted protected areas. In this case, a SAGE too was identified to assist with a quick assessment of governance issues. This process also helped to identify key stakeholders relevant to the implementation of the project at the site level.
Enabling factors
The community buy-in, and commitment from the government and other stakeholders made the process more participative. The use of the SAGE tool encouraged more interaction and contributed to the implementation of the project. The Technical staff and field-based teams were also always available to guide the process through.
Lesson learned
The baseline survey to establish site level profile and governance gap analysis required cooperation and collaboration from other stakeholders, especially the traditional leadership and government. It is also a slow process and requires adequate planning and preparation.
Stakeholder engagement and collaboration
Enhancing governance and conservation in biodiversity protected area management requires robust stakeholder participation and collaboration by all the actors in the protected areas. This was key as the shared resources made it possible to accomplish the project implementation within the schedule and timeframe. This process also involved stakeholder analysis and their contribution to the governance of the site. Shared vision planning and established mechanism for continued coordination.
Enabling factors
Good stakeholder participation, and support by the government and the traditional leadership. The participatory nature of the tool allows broader collective action planning and assessment.
Lesson learned
Stakeholder participation helped to pull resources together and a joint action agreed and made implementation much easier. It requires proper planning and identification of key governance issues to be analyzed and acted upon. Usually, you would want to focus on those governance issues that are relevant such as gender equity, participation, and information sharing. The process became expensive especially the implementation of other activities due to a high number of stakeholders.
Action Planning, communicating, and support.
This building block assisted in developing actions to address the governance challenges, communication of information, training, and ensuring ongoing mentorship and coaching for the Community Resources Boards in the implementation of governance actions. The key issue of this stage was creating opportunities for having a shared vision and collective actions.
Enabling factors
Good stakeholder participation, and support by the government and the traditional leadership. The participatory nature of the tool allows broader collective action planning and assessment.
Lesson learned
It requires proper planning and identification of key governance issues to be analyzed and acted upon. Usually, you would want to focus on relevant governance issues such as gender equity, participation, and information sharing.
Adopting and adaption
This process involved peer-to-peer learning among the different sites of the project beneficiaries, to learn from one another, adopt some good governance practices and adapt to their local situations such as how to structure good benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Enabling factors
The beneficiary communities shared similar governance challenges, and sometimes the same landscape and were familiar with common issues. Through sharing of the lessons at the various sites and joint implementation and peer-to-peer interaction were an important part to share the success stories and challenges.
Lesson learned
Governance challenges are similar across sites in Zambia and require enacting national policies and legislation to support efficient community-led conservation. Community based natural resources management approaches are crucial to successful management of protected areas.
Impacts
The intervention, through a BIOPAMA grant, recorded a positive impact including a general improvement in information sharing, and training 670 VAG committee members in Leadership and community organization. through community awareness, 1350 people were trained of which 638 were male and 712 were females. 60 Community scouts and Wildlife Police Officers were trained in fairer and more effective law enforcement. Community and stakeholder dialogue meetings on human-wildlife conflicts and law enforcement were held in Chiawa and Mufunta with an aggregated participation of 90 persons of which 40% were women. In order to enhance information sharing, a total of 1000 booklets were produced and distributed in the communities. A further 600 copies of the roles and responsibilities and project outcomes were shared. The project has contributed to improved communication and coordination among stakeholders in the project area. The project activities were also shared at the biggest National CBNRM Conference in December 2022 in Zambia. A national CBNRM learning group has also been set up to advise on CBNRM practices, and the project staff shared their experiences during the African Protected Areas Congress in Kigali. More information on the project success has been produced and disseminated through blogs.
Beneficiaries
- Communities from 12 CRBs ( Kabulwebulwe, Mulendema, Chibuluma, Mufunta, Kaingu, Chilyabufu, Shimbidzi, Chiawa, Mphanshya, Mphuka, Mburuma, Shikabeta).
- Traditional leaders.
- Government staff.
Sustainable Development Goals
Story
I attended a meeting one morning in June 1996, where Dr Brian Child, an Expert in community-led conservation held a meeting at a local school where I was a teacher and introduced the concept of community-based natural resources management, and how this approach can empower local communities who live side by side with nature, wildlife and the environment. This program was going to allow the retention of revenues from the sustainable use of the natural resources from trophy hunting in my area. Interestingly, I got inspired and participated in this three-day training, and in the end, the local communities received their dividend from the funds generated from safari hunting. The first of its kind to happen at that time.
This inspired me to change my career and became a local champion of community conservation that benefits local people. I quickly set up my goal to work for the community. Within a few months, I was elected into one of the local Village Action Groups as a member, and later got elected as Secretary for my chiefdom- Msoro Area Development Committee. We embarked on a Community-Based Scouts Programme to protect wildlife and also constructed water dams to provide water for wildlife. A lot more youth of my age volunteered to become scouts, and from the fairly 12 employed in my area the program grew to cover the whole Lupande GMA, and more than 60 scouts were employed.
I later co-opted into the project and became the leader of the community conservation program. Through my interaction over the years, I have become a champion of community rights to benefit from conservation. Currently, this programme has benefited many people in the country and more youth and women have been trained to be good conservationists. From the very humble beginning, I have risen to become a regional icon and currently chair the Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa- a champion voice for the local communities.
