African Wildlife Economy Community of Practice

African Wildlife Economy
Community of Practice

AWE-COP

©Gregoire Dubois

Background

Natural resources, in particular wildlife, are traditionally seen as inputs and not as assets in a national economy. Such an approach has seen limited government resources being invested in the wildlife economy or allocated to supporting wildlife resources. Reversing this position requires an illustration to state and non-state actors using compelling evidence about the economic contribution of wildlife resources to local, national and regional economies. There is a limited understanding of this contribution.

Wildlife-based land uses such as tourism can contribute to favourable socio-economic benefits, support sustainable livelihoods, improve infrastructure development, access to protected areas, and enhance gender and youth participation in managing natural resources. This will likely help communities recognize that wildlife is valuable to their livelihoods and the broader economy. Across Africa, wildlife tourism is known to generate more income than other land uses and it generates more income than other land uses and contributes significantly to job creation and revenue generation for those engaged in the activity. The sustainability of the wildlife economy also depends on well-functioning value chains in sectors such as tourism, hunting, and game meat production; and on effective production management systems, product development, market viability, and financing.

To that end, this African Wildlife Economy Community of Practice aims to create a structure and platform that allows interested individuals to collaborate, promote best practices, and collectively build common capabilities that help advance the Wildlife Economy discourse across Africa.

Overview and Mission

The AWE-COP is a voluntary learning partnership of stakeholders, including members from government agencies, conservation organizations, community organizations, universities, individuals and other research institutions based in Africa with substantive mandates, interest and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of wildlife resources.

The mission of the AWE-COP is to increase cooperation and coordination on wildlife economy governance, the wildlife economy enabling environment and management issues among its members, where such adds value to promote the sustainable management of wildlife, contributing to human livelihoods, well-being and economies at all levels.

The AWE-COP will carry out its mission by:

Facilitating communication and sharing of information on policies, programmes and activities among members and other interested parties;

Promoting debate, increasing understanding, identifying and filling knowledge gaps on critical wildlife economy issues;

Undertaking joint initiatives and collaborative activities related to the wildlife economy;

Influencing policy and practice to unlock and grow the wildlife economy sustainably in Africa;

Facilitating the work of Parties to wildlife-related environmental conventions by providing evidence-based advice and producing joint statements and paperson issues relevant to the national, regional and international wildlife policy - related dialogue on an ad hoc basis;

Developing and submitting coordinated research findings through peer-reviewed journal publications, blogs, working papers, white papers, and policy briefs to AWE-COP members and other relevant bodies including donors, communities and governments and;

Serving as a point of references for information on the wildlife economy.

The AWE-COP will collaborate in contributing to the implementation of wildlife economy-related frameworks and generate added value and an integrated approach to the solution of existing and emerging problems related to wildlife management on a continental scale. The AWE-COP will operate in an open, transparent and flexible manner.

Objectives

The objectives of the African Wildlife Economy Community of Practice (AWE-COP) will evolve, but will include:

To deepen knowledge of wildlife economies in Africa by identifying, gathering, and reaching a consensus on information for different wildlife economy activities in Africa;
To provide a space for discussing regulatory frameworks governing wildlife economies and enabling factors and conditions for success in the development and growth of the wildlife economy in Africa;
To provide a forum for the cooperation and coordination of activities where the wildlife economy adds value to existing conservation and development initiatives;
To identify linkages and opportunities for collaborative strategic and technical projects and to coordinate the delivery of wildlife economy initiatives;
To collate information on wildlife economy activities across the globe and to disseminate knowledge of wildlife economies across Africa and beyond by engaging effectively with relevant stakeholders and the broader public so that they are aware, committed and empowered to make the needful changes that will result in enhanced governance of wildlife economies at all relevant levels and;
To advise other bodies on matters relating to the wildlife economy and cross-cutting issues of interest to the AWE-COP.

Membership

Professional development is crucial for individuals and organizations operating across the rapidly evolving wildlife conservation and sustainability sectors of Africa. It plays a vital role in helping people and organizations keep up with the evolving challenges and opportunities, and equipping professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to drive impactful change.

At the ALU School of Wildlife Conservation (SOWC), we recognize the significance of continuous learning and offer a framework for professional development that encompasses the following elements:

Stakeholder representation:

Member of one of the above stakeholder groups.

Constructive participation:

Members must be able and willing to commit to working constructively and cooperatively as a part of the working group, and to fulfilling their role as laid out in the COP ToR, where relevant.

Interest:

Members should have demonstrable interest in one or more issues relevant to the wildlife economy in Africa.

Capacity to contribute:

Members must be able and willing to commit to the role and responsibilities of the AWE-COP and actively participate in the business of the AWE-COP as much as possible.

Collaboration:

Willingness to, where relevant and applicable, collaborate with other AWE-COP members to maximise impact.

Application for membership of AWE-COP

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Individuals interested in applying for membership to the AWE-COP will apply through a Google form, after which, if approved, they are added to the AWE-COP. Applications will be decided upon by the AWE-COP Steering Committee, where a member objects, it has to provide relevant reasons therefore. Membership of the AWE-COP Steering Committee may be expanded on an ongoing basis, if required, but should not exceed a maximum of 15 members. After the current term, members of the AWE-COP Steering Committee will be elected based on a vote by the AWE-COP members.

For more detail on the AWE-COP please see the full Terms of Reference here.

For a recording of the AWE-COP launch webinar (27th March 2024) please click here.

To apply for membership to join the AWE-COP, please complete this form.

For more information contact:

Dr Sue Snyman, Chair, AWE-COP, ssnyman@alueducation.com
Chanda Mwale, Vice-Chair, AWE-COP, wpazopsmanager@gmail.com

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to the inaugural Steering Committee who have provided guidance and support in terms of setting up the Community of Practice (in alphabetical order):

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- Dr Alex Chidakel, University of Florida
- Alex Marsh, SANBI
- Dr Brian Child, University of Florida
- Chanda Mwale, Wildlife Producers Association of Zambia (Vice-Chair)
- Dr Christo Fabricius, Nelson Mandela University
- Dr Dilys Roe, IIED and IUCN SuLi
- Drew McVey, WWF
- Edwin Tambara, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
- Francine Barchett, Cornell University
- Dr Frank Vorhies, African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI)
- Dr Hayley Clements, African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) & University of Stellenbosch
- Dr Holly Dublin, IIED and IUCN SULi
- Dr Jeanetta Selier, SANBI
- Dr Julian Blanc, UNEP
- Leo Niskanen, IUCN ESARO
- Lucy Waruingi, African Conservation Centre
- Dr Matt Child, SANBI
- Melissa de Kock, UNEP-WCMC
- Roland Vorwerk, Independent
- Dr Sue Snyman, ALU SOWC (Chair)