World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007 - (Page 25)

under conservation management. Of the 50 established conservancies, 30 are located adjacent to Namibia’s parks or anchor corridors linking protected areas. But the greatest achievement under WWF’s able leader, Chris Weaver, is that the LIFE Project has helped the Namibians achieve community-based conservation at scale. One of the great criticisms of community-based efforts is that you start out with one village, and 10 years later, the conservation activities are still limited to the area around that village. In Namibia, they have gone national. And the wildlife has responded. Herds of spectacularly marked oryx, springbok and zebra are everywhere. And we are seeing a recovery in desert giraffe, desert elephants and desert rhinos. But if you want the real test of ecosystem recovery, look for the return of large predators. Few people, whether in California or Costa Rica, want to live near them. Yet, lions fitted with satellite telemetry collars are moving out of Etosha, into conservancy-managed lands and back into the Skeleton Coast National Park. Leopards, hyenas, and cheetah populations are on the upswing where communities are in control of their resources. How is all this possible in a continent where similar efforts have stalled and where large predators are in decline? “I grew up under apartheid. I saw how marginalized the rural people were. They felt inferior, too frightened to speak up. The conservancies have restored their dignity as human beings.” Maxi Pia Louis By making wildlife a valuable resource, first for trophy hunting and now Lead Coordinator, Namibia Association for a rapidly developing wildlife tourism industry, these ventures have of CBNRM Service Organizations brought millions of dollars worth of benefits to conservancies populated by the poorest of the poor – almost US$4 million in 2006 alone. Fifteen years ago, the best use for wildlife was to poach it; now poor goat farmers tolerate the presence of the cheetah, their former nemesis, because the presence of this sleek predator enhances game viewing. Major wildlife safari companies are now partnering with conservancies to build luxury tourist lodges that are turning big profits for people who are living at subsistence. The operators see a bonanza: think the wildlife of East Africa meets the breathtaking scenery of southern Utah, and you have postcard Namibia. The most memorable moment of my trip was surprisingly not out in the bush, but in the office of the coordinator of the conservation NGOs, a Namibian woman by the name of Maxi Pia Louis. We discussed some of the challenges ahead. Only 14 of the 50 conservancies are currently financially sustainable, the locals still lack full legal authority over their conservancies; and Namibia has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world, to cite just a few obstacles. I asked her why she was so optimistic about the conservancy program. Her response sent chills down my spine: “I grew up under apartheid. I saw how marginalized the rural people were. They felt inferior, too frightened to speak up. The conservancies have restored their dignity as human beings.” This work has given conservation a new model, one where we speak not only for the cheetahs, the black rhinos, and the desert elephants that have no voice in their own future, but also for the San Bushmen, the Damaras, the Namas – all the indigenous groups of Namibia. The LIFE program is nothing less than a model for the empowerment of these people who now, for the first time, have a say in their own destiny. ■ Dr. Eric Dinerstein is WWF’s chief scientist and vice president for conservation science. He is co-architect of WWF’s Global 200, an innovative blueprint for ecoregional conservation. His work has been published in numerous scientific journals, and his most recent book is Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations. worldwildlife.org 25 http://worldwildlife.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007

WWF - Annual Report 2007 Contents The Landscapes of People's Lives The President’s Report Africa, Land of the Soul Building Prosperity from Africa’s Natural Wealth A Namibian Odyssey Natural Capital: Putting a Price on Nature Investing in Fish and Fishermen Wildlife in the Balance Africans on the Move WWF Results Across the Globe A Different Kind of Fieldwork A River Dammed Pooling Efforts in the World’s Aquarium More Than Just the Daily Catch All Along the Equator A Partnership for Freshwater Funding and Financial Overview Statement of Activities Ways to Give Staff National Council Board of Directors

World Wildlife Fund - Annual Report 2007

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