Despite Nobel-prize-winning institutional theory on governance regimes that lead to fairer, more resilient societies, the tragedy-of-the-commons narrative persists for Africa’s wildlife resources. Protected areas separate wildlife from people and, beyond these, people are prevented from utilising wildlife. This state-centralised conservation model is resource-intensive—African protected areas face funding shortages >US$ 2 billion/year. It is also unjust towards people whose livelihoods come into conflict with wildlife. Several countries in southern Africa have adopted a radically different conservation model—allowing local people to derive livelihoods from wildlife. These countries buck the continental trend of declining wildlife numbers, but the scale and outcomes of these wildlife economies (including hunting, ecotourism, wild meat, etc) vary dramatically, mirrored by diverse rules and contested values around wildlife use and ownership. We propose collating data on these institutional arrangements and their social-ecological outcomes across southern Africa, using cutting-edge theory to understand what institutions are appropriate for supporting just and resilient wildlife economies in different contexts. These “design principles for governing wildlife systems” will be packaged in policy briefs and training material. Improved understanding of institutions in wildlife systems among policymakers and program implementers can help challenge the global tragedy-of-the-commons conservation paradigm and unlock novel pathways to more context-appropriate, resilient and just conservation systems.
Group members:
- Dr Hayley Clements, Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University; African Wildlife Economy Institute, Stellenbosch University, South Africa (lead)
- Dr Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Biology, University of Oxford; African Wildlife Economy Institute, Stellenbosch University; South Africa (lead)
- Prof Brian Child – University of Florida, Founder Lifethroughwildlife, IUCN Council for Africa, USA / South Africa
- Dr Sue Snyman, School of Wildlife Conservation, African Leadership University, Rwanda / South Africa
- Dr Shylock Muyengwa, Resource Africa, Zimbabwe
- Mr Nilton Cuna, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mozambique
- Mr Kenneth Uiseb, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Namibia
- Dr Dian Spear, Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University