20/03/2006 - Gland, Switzerland
– Saving pandas, gorillas or tigers is not just
about stopping an endangered species from going
extinct, but also about reducing poverty and improving
the lives of local communities, according to a new
WWF report.
The report, based on six case
studies, shows that WWF’s species work helps eradicate
poverty and hunger, as well as promote sustainable
and fair development in rural areas of countries
such as Nepal, Uganda, India, Namibia, Costa Rica
and China.
The case studies prove that the
conservation and sustainable management of species
and their habitats means better protection of forests,
freshwater and marine areas. As a result, the rural
poor who depend on these areas will have more access
to goods and services they provide. This not only
increases incomes, but access to freshwater, health,
education and women’s rights often also improve.
According to the report, some
ecotourism projects based on the observation of
species in the wild – such as marine turtles, pandas
and mountain gorillas – generate significant amounts
of money to communities. By applying knowledge of
species movements in and across habitats, this can
help implement sustainable land-use planning.
“Very often the issues that threaten
species are the same which contribute to poverty,
such as loss of habitats and natural resources,”
said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global
Species Programme. “This report provides evidence
that when endangered species benefit, people benefit
as well.”
For example, in Tortuguero (Costa
Rica), live turtles are worth more to the local
economy than turtle meat and eggs ever were. The
community strongly supports conservation measures
to promote ecotourism, and both turtle and tourist
numbers have been climbing over the past 30 years.
Community forests in parts of
Nepal have led to the restoration of vital corridors
for the survival of tiger populations living there.
WWF is helping local people to manage and directly
benefit from these forest resources. According to
the report, groups of community forest users can
earn US$4,1000 annually.
In the Indian village of Farida,
a WWF awareness-raising programme aimed at conserving
the rare Ganges river dolphin helped the community
to address critical basic needs. After five years,
the number of families below the poverty line significantly
declined.
The report further shows that
more than 60 per cent of people living around Uganda's
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which protects
the habitat of the endangered mountain gorilla,
feel they benefit economically and socially from
the forests. Additional examples show that in China,
illegal and damaging activities in forest reserves
declined when communities gained alternative sources
of income, such as farming and animal husbandries
supported by WWF panda projects. In Namibia, the
creation of conservancies, where communities are
managing their wildlife resources, has resulted
in better wildlife management, increased wildlife
populations, ecotourism development and increased
profits in community-owned enterprises.
As the eighth Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD COP8) opens today in Curitiba (Brazil), WWF
believes that the CBD and member governments should
integrate species conservation work into efforts
to alleviate poverty.
“It seems illogical that billions
of dollars are being spent to reduce poverty and
promote sustainable economic development without
looking at the links between sustainable development,
a healthy environment, and species conservation,”
said Dr Lieberman. “Now is the time to make that
link and act upon it.”
END NOTES:
• The six case studies, based
on new research and analysis using the Sustainable
Livelihoods (SL) framework to assess field data
and supported by wide literature review, include:
1. Integrating sustainable livelihoods
with tiger conservation in the Terai Arc Landscape,
Nepal
2 Wildlife Conservation – a viable strategy in Namibia’s
Rural Development Programme
3. Mountain gorilla conservation contributes to
local livelihoods around the Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park, Uganda
4. Partnering to secure the future for people and
pandas in the Minshan and Qinling Mountains, China
5. Sea Turtle Conservation in Tortuguero, Costa
Rica
6. Conserving the Ganges River Dolphin and improving
livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh, India
• The study shows that WWF species
conservation field projects deliver on four of the
eight UN Millennium Development Goals: Eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger (Goal 1); Promote gender
equality and empower women (Goal 3); Ensure environmental
sustainability (Goal 7); and Develop a global partnership
for development (Goal 8).
