You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.
Wangari Maathai
This year’s World Wildlife Day theme is Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation. Recognising people working with wildlife to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity.
Ecotourism can be a game changer in far flung places where human-animal conflict is the biggest threat to wildlife.
It plays a conducive + an enduring role creating partnerships for wildlife conservation.
What is Ecotourism?
I love The International Ecotourism’s Society’s definition, I think it encompasses all its elements well:
Ecotourism is now defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015). Education is meant to be inclusive of both staff and guests.
How – best practice:
- Educating local communities about the value of protecting their shared natural habitats
- Harnessing their innate wild knowledge about the natural area in which they’ve lived all their lives
- Creating supportive economic partnerships + environments to setup sustainable and fair ecotourism businesses with shared community ownership
- Supporting local communities with alternative solutions to the problems they experience with the proximity of crops + livestock to wild animals
- Providing local communities with sustainable and fair employment
This transforms wildlife from threat to ally. Harmonising human-animal conflict.
Why?
It is a symbiotic solution: it uplifts local communities, has minimum impact on pristine natural environments + allows those visiting a deeper connection with nature and people.
When you travel into wilderness areas you’ll often be accompanied by a local community member as your guide. This allows for the most authentic experience of people + place as they weave their awe-inspiring stories of the wild + teach us its wonder. This wouldn’t be possible without the contribution of ecotourism.
Ecotourism in action
It’s been a privilege to witness the forming of conservancies in North-West Namibia where community based ecotourism is thriving.
In particular, Okomutati, which means the place of a single Mopani tree in the local Herero language.
Flying under the radar this forgotten valley has a semi-wild camping spot, with bonus hot outdoor showers.
Okomutati sits in the middle of Namibia’s arid Eden, just off a major tourist route heading up to the Namibia/Angola border.
It’s my parents’ + the local Ehi-Rovipuka Conservancy’s labour of love.
There are many other community-tourism partnership success stories where wildlife thrives.
It thrives or has been regenerated because of these brave wildlife conservation partners, on the frontline, building bridges to protect our most valuable asset.
Respect for these synergies!