EU addresses human-wildlife conflict
The European Union through its NaturAfrica programme will ensure protection of residents and the wildlife within the Trans Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the Southern Africa Development Committee (SADC) region.
The NaturAfrica programme which is currently being designed will focus on the underlying drivers of human-wildlife conflicts such as the competition for space and resources. EU Ambassador Petra Pereyra told Botswana Guardian that they will start supporting communities in Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Conservation areas (TFCAs) through the NaturAfrica programme.
“Concerning KAZA, we are consulting the member states of KAZA and the KAZA Secretariat to find the best way to complement the activities that are already ongoing in these areas through the support provided by governments and other international partners, such as Germany and NGOs.”
She said in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park the EU is also discussing with national authorities in Botswana and South Africa and consulting organisations that are active in the area to provide support where the EU funds will make a difference, especially for the local communities.
“In the two TFCAs, we will support the governments and communities based on the three main objectives of NaturAfrica and of the SADC TFCA programme and after careful consideration of the local context. Our aim is to start implementation on the ground by the beginning of 2025”.
This will include protecting ecosystems and wildlife, creating jobs and improving livelihoods as well as promoting regional cooperation and security.
Through the NaturAfrica programme, the EU will ensure alignment of these partners with the SADC TFCA programme and the policies of the governments. She said they will also engage consistently with local communities to ensure that their views and needs are at the core of the activities.
To promote co-existence of humans and wildlife, the EU has already been supporting initiatives in Habu and Eretsha in the Okavango Delta, which is currently learning from and will expand through several programmes, including NaturAfrica. Their main objective is to ensure that local populations and farmers can have sustainable livelihoods and continue farming and herding in areas where there is also wildlife.
Pereyra said they are supporting innovating husbandry and farming practices, through solar powered irrigation, market development for local products or the development of a community managed tourism offer.
“The most important point is to support communities and ensure they benefit more from conservation and wildlife while reducing the costs for living in or around protected areas.”
She highlighted that it is vital to empower people with knowledge on how to be safer around elephants, and find ways to better protect crops and property using various elephant deterrents, such as solar fencing, lighting, chili pepper deterrent methods, beehive fencing or other traditional methods.
“It is important that these solutions are developed hand in hand with communities through consultations, learning and research to find the most effective and appropriate ways for them.”
The EU NaturAfrica initiative for the southern Africa region will benefit from EUR 33 million funding that will be implemented in six specific TFCAs including KAZA that comprises Botswana Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, MAZATFCA (Malawi-Zambia), Great Limpopo TFCA (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique); Chimanimani (Mozambique, Zimbabwe), ZIMOZATFCA (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique) and Kgalagadi (Botswana and South Africa).