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Kaindu Conservation Project

Current initiative

Published

Elephants drinking.

Elephants drinking.

In 2015, Kaindu Natural Resources Trust (KNRT) embarked on an initiative to run a community game ranch in partnership with Royal Kafue and with support from The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The initiative is aimed at supporting community-based natural resource management.

Lead

Kaindu Natural Resources Trust

Location

The project area is located on the eastern part of the Kafue National Park and on the southern part of Lunga Luswshi Game Management Area, in Kaindu Chiefdom.

The poaching and wildlife trade problem

Species affected African Elephant Loxodonta africana , Lion Panthera leo , Roan antelope Hippotragus equinus , Sable antelope Hippotragus niger

Products in trade

Animal meat, skins and bones, and ivory

Overview of the problem

Generally, poachers come from outside the community but bribe community members into not reporting poaching incidents. Community members are primarily motivated to receive these bribes due to a lack of alternative income sources.

Elephant poaching for ivory is a particular concern in the area.

The anti-IWT initiative

The objective behind establishing a community game ranch is to direct 100% of the benefits of natural resources to community members. Benefits primarily come from hunting revenues, which fund community projects such as female shelters at local clinics, houses for teachers and other community infrastructure.

The community has been involved throughout in decision-making. Existing community structures, for example Community Resource Boards, Village Action Groups and Traditional Leaders, are used to hold consultative meetings.

The strategy

Strengthening disincentives for illegal behaviour

Paid in money community scouts
Performance-based payments/incentives for patrolling or guarding
Paid in-kind community scouts
Monetary incentives for community intelligence
Raising community awareness about wildlife crime penalties and sanctions
Further detail

The initiative includes deploying and training village scouts from the community. Scouts receive a salary plus performance-based payments. They are also provided with all necessary uniforms and equipment as an extra incentive.

As well as scouts, monetary incentives for community intelligence are provided to community informers who report illegal activities and who sensitise the community on the benefits of good governance of natural resources.

Increasing incentives for wildlife stewardship

Tourism
Trophy hunting

Decreasing the costs of living with wildlife

Physical separation of people/livestock and wildlife

Increasing livelihoods that are not related to wildlife

Provision of community-level benefits
Further detail

All monetary benefits derived from the community game ranch are used to fund clinics, schools, etc. Once funds are released, the community decides on their preferred projects though consultative meetings.

Build/and or support sense of community ownership or stewardship

Further detail

The initiative supports community ownership by involving everyone in decision-making processes.

Improving education and awareness

Further detail

The initiative has also formed education clubs in community schools to raise awareness of the importance and effects of good management of natural resources.

Has the initiative made a difference?

Assessments by Community Liaison Assistants show that the community is much more aware of the importance of effective management of natural resources. In addition, animal populations are on the rise and poaching incidents have been reduced with the help of scouts and community informants.

What works and why

Working with the community, and engaging with different community structures, has greatly contributed to the success of the initiative.

Support from partners TNC and Royal Kafue has also been essential for success.

Factors for success

Supportive, multi-stakeholder partnerships with a shared vision

Transparent and accountable distribution of benefits to local communities

Clearly defined tenure or resource use rights

What doesn’t work and why

Delays in issuing a title deed delayed development of the community game ranch. This has been a problem for funding, as donors will only support the project if the tenure is well established through the title deed.

Factors that limited or hindered success

Lack of supportive national policy/legislation for devolved governance of natural resources

Lack of coordinated and coherent sectoral policies/legislation (For example, land use planning, agricultural etc...)

Lack of long-term donor support that is flexible, adaptive and/or based on realistic time goals

Organisers, donors and partners

Partners: Royal Kafue, DNPW, Kaindu Community Resource Board

Donors: The Nature Conservancy

For further information contact Chisoshi Bornface (bornface.chisoshi@gmail.com).