This publication is a collection of selected case studies representative of the application of the Ecosystem Approach under different ecological, social, economic and cultural contexts in Latin America.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), home to 43% of the remaining 1,063 endangered mountain gorillas, faces growing threats from human activities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) addressed two critical issues: (i) Preventing COVID-19 transmission among people and from people to gorillas through community and park frontline workers awareness, personal protective equipment, testing gorillas using non-invasive methods and people in close contact with gorillas, and rapid case response, ensuring no positive cases among gorillas; (ii) Tackling increased poaching caused by tourism loss and poverty by meeting urgent nutritional needs, promoting alternative livelihoods, and supporting park patrols, which significantly reduced poaching and other illegal forest entries. This initiative was part of the IUCN Save Our Species African Wildlife program, co-funded by the European Union.
Cape vultures are vulnerable and endemic to southern Africa, and their breeding in eastern Botswana are surrounded by agricultural lands. We discovered that at least 15% of the chicks were born with deformed bones, a sign of calcium deficiency, which make them fail to fly. After thorough consultation with stakeholders, we initiated a project to provide over 500kg of bone fragments as calcium supplement to the vultures during the breeding season (May-November 2019). This project is part of the IUCN Save Our Species (https://iucnsos.org/initiative/sos-african-wildlife/), co-funded by the European Union. Bones are rich in calcium and therefore help in the skeletal development and growth. Mothers eat bones and feed chicks in the nests. The number of chicks with bone deformities decreasing by 58% in the first year of intervention, less than 5% of chicks reported with bone deformities thereafter. We have seen a successful uptake of the project by the local community and this project is still running with little input from us.
The Chimanimani Mountains KBA is found in Eastern Zimbabwe. It is one of the biodiversity rich areas of the country and is home to numerous endemic and threatened plants and bird species. Like many in Southern Africa, Chimanimani is faced with escalating threats from deforestation, fires and cyclones, endangering its rich biodiversity. A collaborative project by BirdLife Zimbabwe (BLZ) and TSURO Trust was aimed to address some of these challenges by balancing conservation needs and community livelihoods thereby fostering a connection between people and biodiversity. Targeting three adjacent communities of Chikukwa, Charlsewood-Tilbury and Ngangu, the initiative trained stakeholders and communities in biodiversity monitoring, sustainable livelihoods and agri-business management. It also established beekeeping projects, built two honey processing centres and conducted landscape restoration. The project directly improved livelihoods of over 120 households and enhanced capacity of local stakeholders in biodiversity management.
The Stay Trees Project (2024) focused on promoting reforestation and sustainable agroforestry across Luwero, Mbale, Busia, and Kapchorwa districts. Each location established one nursery, enabling the production of 96,423 seedlings, with 73,867 trees planted by 425 farmers, achieving an average 80% survival rate. Through Good Agroforestry Practices (GAP) training, 414 farmers gained skills in tree planting, management, and crop integration for sustainable incomed for the adopting farmers, ultimately ensuring long-term forest cover and environmental restoration. To support tree survival and farmer engagement, top-performing farmers were awarded cash crops like soya beans and groundnuts, providing short-term incomes while maintaining focus on tree preservation. The nurseries ensured quality seedlings, enhancing tree resilience in the field. The project successfully contributed to afforestation, increased forest cover, and environmental sustainability, while fostering improved farmer livelihoods and community participation.
The Gola Forest National Park (GFNP) has seen an increase in the prevention of illicit activities due to the IUCN SOS program. Since the project’s inception, the following technical areas have seen growth in the capacity of Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) field workers as well as local community members made up of Ecoguards: On September 20, 2016, the government of Liberia passed a bill officially designating 88,000 hectares of Liberia rain forest as the GFNP. It also passes the National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Act, meaning this area for which the Government of Liberia set aside is to be restricted from all illegal activities such as hunting, mining, trapping, pit sawing, farming, etc.
The IUCN SOS project, Protecting Vulnerable Species in the Gola Forest Landscape from the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic, includes cross-border patrol efforts, Ecoguard patrols with Forestry Development Authority rangers in the Gola Forest National Park from the IUCN SOS project.
Spanning 42,000 km², Kenya’s Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA) is home to over 16,500 elephants, including the world’s last viable gene pool of “Big Tuskers,” elephants with exceptionally large ivory. The elephant population faces persistent threats from poaching and illegal wildlife trade. In response, Tsavo Trust (TT) in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), deploys seven anti-poaching teams and an aerial unit to protect elephants and other wildlife. IUCN Save Our Species African Wildlife initiative, which is co-funded by the European Union has supported these efforts.
Aerial patrols serve as “eyes in the sky,” locating poachers, monitoring wildlife, and providing vital intelligence to ground teams, significantly enhancing their effectiveness. TT rangers are recruited from local communities, enhancing livelihoods and stewardship of natural resources.
Over the past 11 years, combined efforts of KWS, TT, and partners have reduced elephant poaching by over 80%, and the population is now growing at an annual rate of 5%.
The 10% Fence Plan (FP) was designed for communities in the Wildlife Friendly Zone of Kamungi Conservancy, an area with dense wildlife and significant Human-Wildlife Conflict.
This innovative model prevents crop raiding and livestock predation, enhancing food and property security. Under this plan, 10% of each individual’s land (ranging from 20-150 acres) is fenced with electrified “porcupine fences,” a common mitigation method in Kenya, enabling landowners to grow crops safely.
The unfenced 90% remains accessible to smaller wildlife such as Dik-diks, impala, Lesser Kudu and benefiaries livestock, preserving migration corridors for elephants between Tsavo West National Park Triangle and Tsavo East National Park.
This intervention promotes coexistence between wildlife and community members, food security -beneficiaries recording better crop harvests, and improved livelihoods. So far, Tsavo Trust and its partners have constructed 16 such fences, achieving 100% effectiveness in deterring elephants from cultivated lands.
The Uruq Bani Ma’arid protected area, located in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia, faced a drastic decline in native wildlife like the Sand Gazelle, Arabian Gazelle, and Arabian Oryx due to habitat degradation and hunting. By 1960s Arabian Oryx was extinct from wild and other species had declined drastically in Saudi Arabia. This decline threatened biodiversity and disrupted the ecosystem. To address this, the National Centre for Wildlife (NCW) implemented a comprehensive restoration program starting in 1990s . Key actions included reintroducing these species as well as Houbara Bustard from captive-bred populations, enforcing protection measures, and restoring their habitat. NCW also conducted biodiversity studies, re-zoned the area based on biodiversity needs, and established managed grazing zones to prevent overgrazing.
The expansion and promotion of sustainable aquaculture represents an important approach to meeting a growing demand for fish, a source of protein and essential micronutrients to combat food insecurity.
As a solution, the Project Aquaculture Value Chain for Higher Income and Food Security in Malawi (AVCP), part of the GIZ Global Programme Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (GP Fish) provided technical training to small-scale fish producers. This included the use of an innovative and inexpensive fish trap to improve aquaculture production.
Different trials confirmed the functionality and ease of use of the fish trap in context of small-scale aquaculture. The trap easily enabled households to harvest and consume fish from their own production more regularly without adversely affecting productivity.
The households can also sell part of the harvest to improve their cash flow whilst neighbors benefit from an improved fish supply. The innovation therefore acts as a convenient with an effective contribution to food security.
Mozambique faces substantial challenges in balancing development and environmental conservation. To protect biodiversity and address climate change, the country has adopted the ambitious 30×30 goals, safeguarding 30% of its terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030. This requires overcoming obstacles like fragmented development efforts, limited coordination, and insufficient data. In response, Mozambique’s Government, supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has launched a campaign to raise awareness and build consensus. This collaboration has produced a forward-looking framework within the National Territorial Development Plan (PNDT 2020-2040), which aims for a “prosperous, competitive, sustainable, safe, and inclusive” country. The PNDT integrates key data on population, climate, and socio-economic factors, emphasising the need for accurate, real-time data for sustainable development. Pilot projects in two areas have proven innovative strategies and offer best practices for wider application.
In Mozambique, the struggle for sustainable development is closely linked to protecting vital ecosystems like mangroves, which are crucial for coastal livelihoods and climate resilience. Despite their clear importance, challenges such as limited access to long-term funding, lack of public awareness, and poor governance have hindered effective conservation. To address these, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through Safe Our Mangroves Now! (SOMN), has led a transformative environmental policy approach. In response to global biodiversity and climate goals, Mozambique aims to protect 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030. This goal is part of the National Territorial Development Plan (PNDT) for 2020-2040, which aims for a “prosperous, competitive, sustainable, and inclusive Mozambique.” The PNDT serves as a comprehensive framework and includes critical efforts such as mangrove mapping and the approval of a Mangrove Implementation Strategy, which are essential for preserving these ecosystems.
La baie du Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin est un espace remarquable qui concentre divers enjeux socio économiques, culturels, biogéographiques et écologiques. C’est l’un des sites les plus suivis de Guadeloupe (site Ramsar en 1993, réserve de Biosphère en 1994, une partie classée en réserve naturelle nationale en 1987 puis intégrée dans le coeur marin du parc national de la Guadeloupe en 2009). Malgré ces dispositions, il subit des conflits d’usages, un manque de rigueur dans l’application des règles et une valorisation désordonnée. La charte du territoire du Parc national de la Guadeloupe propose une gouvernance partagée des territoires du parc. C’est pourquoi, les 2 principaux gestionnaires, le Conservatoire du littoral et le Parc national de la Guadeloupe ont élaboré une stratégie de gestion durable de la fréquentation, accompagnée de propositions concrètes d’actions, permettant de mieux répartir les activités en fonction de la sensibilité des milieux et de la potentialité des sites.
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