Viewed from space, the world-famous Okavango Delta looks like a large pan attached to a handle – the Okavango River. The ‘pan-handle’ area includes villages along the western and eastern banks of the river – those on the west are located near a tar road that connects Namibia with northern Botswana. Those on the east have a dirt road that connects with the west over one river crossing, which until very recently (a bridge built in 2022) involved crossing the Okavango River using a pontoon.
Nature conservation is driven by passionate individuals who see the dangers of unsustainable and destructive human activities more clearly than others. When these people are recognised and empowered, their efforts can change local practices and perceptions that create a sustainable future for all.
Natiora Defenders, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in early 2024, champions and showcases the work of conservation leaders and heroes in Madagascar. In May 2024, the first cohort of Ocean Defenders was announced. This cohort, comprising seven men and three women, was named Akio Foty – Great White Shark – for their relentless, fearless defence of the ocean.
The Community Leaders Network and Resource Africa recently attended the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Summit held in Livingstone, Zambia.
By Liberty Chauke
Zimbabwe’s Community Areas Management Program For Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) programme was the first of its kind in southern Africa, whereby people living with wildlife became beneficiaries of the sustainable use of wildlife in their areas.
On 22 February 2024, 17 Community Trusts in Botswana along with the Ngamiland Council of NGOs (NCONGO) expressed their deep concern with a campaign advocating for a ban on hunting trophy imports into the United Kingdom (UK) that will negatively affect their livelihoods and wildlife conservation efforts. These Trusts are democratically elected entities speaking on behalf of their respective communities that live alongside elephants and other wildlife species in Botswana.