Can communities living side by side with wildlife beat Africa’s national parks at conservation?
Across the continent, millions of hectares of land are being used and run by local people coexisting with wildlife in spaces where both can thrive
- Photographs by Nicoló Lanfranchi
Africa’s first national park was created 100 years ago by the Belgian colonial state in the Congo, and since then hundreds more have been developed – but in many areas there is more wildlife in protected areas run by local people.
Tens of millions of hectares across the continent are home to community-run “conservancies”, managed by herders, farmers and hunter-gatherers, who coexist with herds of large animals such as elephants, giraffes and buffalo.
The Nashulai conservancy in southern Kenya. The country now has more than 230 community-run reserves covering 16% of the country. Conservancies have helped wildlife recover while benefiting local people
Continue reading...