Actions
Action 9.1

9.2 Expand and diversify the wildlife economy to benefit species conservation.

Subactions

  • 9.2.1. Implement sustainable tourism where possible, and other wildlife-based incentives to conserve species and their habitats.

    Solutions and case studies

    A conservation model for Costa Rica

    Costa Rica faces enormous challenges in ensuring the sustainability of conservation endeavours. A shortage of sustainable finance continue to exert pressure on protected areas. To ensure the long-term funding of conservation, SINAC, together with its partners, created the public-private conservation initiative Forever Costa Rica. This non-profit association aims to complement state and private efforts to preserve biodiversity e.g. through the implementation of management plans for fourteen MPAs.

    Creating direct incentives through ecotourism for protecting wildlife

    The Nam Nern Night Safari is a tour in Nam Et-Phou Louey NPA, Lao PDR, designed to give communities incentives to reduce illegal hunting and sale of endangered species. Tourism has been initiated as a measure to reduce threats in addition to enforcement and outreach activities. Incentives are created through a contract signed with the 1,186 families of 14 forest-edge communities, which ensures income to families for every tourist and wildlife sighting on the tour.

    Profiting from eco-tourism in Cambodia

    Through eco-tourism the WCS, park authorities, business and communities are protecting globally significant endangered species in northern Cambodia. These enterprises generate enough revenue for local people to change their behavior to more wildlife friendly ways, while also increasing their wealth. Communities manage eco-lodges and provide employment. A community payment directly linked to conservation is discretionary spending for the village committee.

  • 9.2.2. Ensure recreational hunting provides benefits for conservation and for local communities.

Primary tools and resources

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IUCN guidelines for gathering of fishers’ knowledge for policy development and applied use

Small-scale fisheries provide food security, livelihoods and income to millions of people but their management still presents a challenge to managers and other stakeholders due to problems in gathering suitable information and its incorporation in fisheries policy. Fishers are a key source of knowledge for assessment of both extractive capacity and value in small-scale fisheries, in addition to providing a broad array of cultural knowledge. The increasing recognition of the value of incorporating traditional fishing knowledge in freshwater, riverine, lacustrine and coastal and marine fisheries management is now evident in international conventions and published literature. The purpose of these guidelines is to make it easier for users to recognise and include fishers’ knowledge as an important data stream in resource management. The report includes details on the breadth of knowledge that can be gathered, how it can be gathered, and how this information can be applied to support sustainable fisheries policy and broader applications in society. It contains case studies from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Pacific.

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Other tools and resources

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IWC Whale Watching Handbook

Whale watching is a rapidly growing activity, and the Whale Watching Handbook was designed to help the industry develop in a way that is sustainable in the long-term, for both the whale populations that are observed and the economies that depend on their presence.

As the inter-governmental organisation charged with conservation of whale stocks, the IWC is well-placed to provide the expertise needed to understand and manage the potential impacts of whale watching on the whales.  These foundations have been strengthened by a partnership with the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) and the result is a comprehensive, living and evolving resource on whale watching, available in three languages.

State of the Wildlife Economy in Africa (2021)

Natural resources and wildlife are traditionally seen as inputs and not as assets in a national economy. This approach has seen limited government resources being invested in the wildlife economy or allocated to supporting wildlife resources. If this is to change there is a need to illustrate to governments and other stakeholders the economic contribution of wildlife resources to local, national and regional economies. Too little is currently understood about this contribution.

Wildlife Conservation Bond

We support developing countries’ work to address the world’s most pressing environmental issues. We organize our work around five focal areas – biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste, climate change, international waters, and land degradation – and take an integrated approach to support more sustainable food systems, forest management, and cities.

Wildlife credit schemes

AFRICA’S WILDLIFE is a unique global asset but it is increasingly under threat.

Loss of habitat, conflict with humans, and illegal poaching are some of the factors that threaten the survival of rare and endangered species, including elephants, lions and rhinos.

To conserve wildlife for future generations, we need inspired ideas and urgent action.

WILDLIFE CREDITS is an innovative approach which rewards communities for protecting wildlife and creates opportunities for smart conservation where wildlife thrives and people prosper.

Wildlife Economy guides

CITES and Livelihoods case-studies

Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].

In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.

People in Nature: Understanding how communities use biodiversity

People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.

One Health principles for sustainable tourism in protected and conserved areas

The wide-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have included immense loss of life and serious health and economic consequences across communities and  ecosystems. Tourism, which itself suffered a sharp disruption in the pandemic, is among the industries that have a strong interest to reduce risks and increase resilience toward a more sustainable model in line with a One Health approach. Protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are an especially important setting for sustainable tourism and can serve as a catalyst for wider adoption of best practices anchored in One Health principles that help to sustainability balance the health of people, animals, and  ecosystems. This report presents six core principles, which provide practical strategies for tour operators and wider tourism industry stakeholders in PCAs. They are intentionally broad, allowing for use and adaptation in any PCA context.

People in nature : valuing the diversity of interrelationships between people and nature

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Solutions and case studies

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A conservation model for Costa Rica

Costa Rica faces enormous challenges in ensuring the sustainability of conservation endeavours. A shortage of sustainable finance continue to exert pressure on protected areas. To ensure the long-term funding of conservation, SINAC, together with its partners, created the public-private conservation initiative Forever Costa Rica. This non-profit association aims to complement state and private efforts to preserve biodiversity e.g. through the implementation of management plans for fourteen MPAs.

Creating direct incentives through ecotourism for protecting wildlife

The Nam Nern Night Safari is a tour in Nam Et-Phou Louey NPA, Lao PDR, designed to give communities incentives to reduce illegal hunting and sale of endangered species. Tourism has been initiated as a measure to reduce threats in addition to enforcement and outreach activities. Incentives are created through a contract signed with the 1,186 families of 14 forest-edge communities, which ensures income to families for every tourist and wildlife sighting on the tour.

Profiting from eco-tourism in Cambodia

Through eco-tourism the WCS, park authorities, business and communities are protecting globally significant endangered species in northern Cambodia. These enterprises generate enough revenue for local people to change their behavior to more wildlife friendly ways, while also increasing their wealth. Communities manage eco-lodges and provide employment. A community payment directly linked to conservation is discretionary spending for the village committee.

View all

Actors

Governments
National governments

Civil society organisations (including NGOs)
Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management
TRAFFIC

IUCN
IUCN SSC Specialist Groups

UN/Inter-Governmental organisations and biodiversity-related conventions and agreements
International Institute for Environment and Development
United Nations Environment Programme