Harare, (New Ziana ) -There is need for greater involvement of rural communities in wildlife conservation since they live with wildlife and therefore should have a say in decisions made at global environmental platforms, an official has said.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said this during a stakeholder engagement meeting on endangered species and waterbird conservation, held in preparation for the upcoming CITES COP 20 in Uzbekistan and AEWA MOP 9, which will take place in Gaborone, Botswana from November 10 to 14.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a global agreement regulating trade in endangered species to ensure their survival.
The 20th Conference of the Parties (COP 20) will be held in Uzbekistan in November this year, where decisions on trade rules for key species like elephants, hippos, giraffes, pangolins, and others will be made.
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is an international treaty that focuses on the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats.
The 9th Meeting of Parties (MOP 9) will take place in Gaborone, and Zimbabwe is participating as a key stakeholder due to its protected wetlands and Ramsar sites.
“The communities are the ones who share borders with wildlife and bear the brunt of living with these animals. They must be involved in decision-making. It’s a plus for conservation, and it’s a plus for rural development,” said Farawo.
He said the aim is to build national consensus on key conservation issues, such as sustainable elephant management and the right to benefit from ivory stockpiles, before taking the conversation to regional and continental levels.
“We want to go to COP 20 speaking with one voice as a country, as the SADC region, and possibly as the African Union. We are sitting on a resource that we can responsibly exploit to support conservation. Conservation is expensive, and it needs money,” he added.
Zimbabwe is advocating for the continued listing of its elephants under Appendix II of CITES, which allows for restricted trade. Farawo said some countries are lobbying for an uplisting to Appendix I, which would effectively ban trade and cut off potential conservation funding for range states.
“Our position is that we must commercially benefit from our elephants while they remain under Appendix II. We are asking to use the resources we have to plough back into conservation and communities,” he said.
He also highlighted the role of the Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in involving communities in conservation. Through regulated hunting and tourism, participating communities receive revenues that go toward schools, clinics, and infrastructure.
“If someone sees an elephant, he must see a job, he must see development.” Farawo also noted Zimbabwe’s strict wildlife protection laws, including a nine-year mandatory sentence for illegal possession of ivory or rhino horn, and said the country continues to carry out joint patrols with neighboring states like Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia.
ZimParks also plays a leading role in wetland conservation, with four Ramsar sites under its protection, and operates veterinary units in Hwange and Harare for the treatment and rehabilitation of injured wildlife.
As COP 20 and AEWA MOP 9 approach, ZimParks says its message will be centered on sustainable use, community empowerment, and the right of African nations to benefit responsibly from their wildlife resources.
New Ziana
