By Tendai Keith Guvamombe
Africa’s iconic wildlife faces an escalating crisis, driven by a burgeoning human population and the fragmenting effects of development. As highlighted by James Isiche, IFAW Africa Director, the continent’s population, currently at 1.25 billion, is projected to increase by another billion by 2050, placing immense pressure on land—a critical resource for both humans and wildlife.
Traditional conservation approaches, relying on static parks and reserves, have proven insufficient as wildlife naturally migrates seasonally, often straying beyond protected boundaries.
IFAW’s strategic response to this challenge is a pivot towards landscape-scale conservation, focusing on connectivity across eastern and southern Africa.
“The most important thing for us now is to ensure that there is connectivity between landscapes,” Isiche emphasizes. This means securing vital linkages that allow wildlife to move freely, adapting to seasonal changes and the increasing impacts of climate change, which manifest in extreme weather events like floods and droughts.
This approach necessitates collaboration with diverse stakeholders, particularly local communities who own much of the land outside protected areas, as well as government agencies responsible for forestry and other sectors.
In Zimbabwe, Aleta Nyahuye, IFAW Zimbabwe Country Director, elaborates on the practical application of this vision within the vast Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) and specifically the Hwange landscape. IFAW’s core mission, “room to roam, securing safe space, space and passage for animals,” is deeply intertwined with empowering local communities as managers of these vital resources.
IFAW’s interventions in Zimbabwe are aligned with regional protocols, focusing on key areas such as law enforcement, community-based wildlife economies, and sustainable implementation.
In the fight against transboundary crime, IFAW is bolstering ranger training and deploying advanced technology like Earth Ranger. This system facilitates the collection and reporting of crucial information, enabling quicker response times to illegal activities, often with direct input from villagers.
Crucially, IFAW recognizes that “conservation is not conservation if we’re not going to earn a living out of it,” as Nyahuye states. To foster sustainable livelihoods that benefit from wildlife, IFAW has made significant investments, including the development of the One Stop Access Pavilion at the Hwange access gate, designed to enhance the visitor experience and generate revenue for local communities.
By integrating community empowerment, technological innovation, and a focus on landscape connectivity, IFAW is forging a path towards a future where both people and wildlife can thrive in Africa.
