Preserving biodiversity through community engagement and education

Travelling throughout Africa, from the rainforests of Congo to the pristine coral reefs along the Tanzanian coastline, one always feels awed at the level of biodiversity characterizing our continent. However, this rich tapestry of life is under threat—climate change, habitat loss, and a whole host of human activities. The most powerful movement across Africa and the world for biodiversity conservation is engaging peoples and raising awareness of its importance. 

While some of the world’s most iconic species and ecosystems remain in Africa, it is no longer the preserve of scientists and conservationists to ensure they survive. Conservation efforts are increasingly placing local communities at the center of biodiversity conservation. This hearkens to a basic truth—that people who live closest to nature end up being the best stewards of nature. 

Examples of community-based conservation projects that are entirely remaking the relationship between people and wildlife are being found in the savannas of East Africa. The Northern Rangelands Trust in Kenya involves local communities in ways to manage their land for conservation and sustainable livelihoods. The end result of these kinds of initiatives—providing the community direct benefits from conservation—is laying powerful protection incentives, inextricably linked to biodiversity. 

Read also: Community Based Climate Resilience; Grassroot Initiatives Making a Difference

It is in this light that education becomes so instrumental. On every corner of the continent, new innovative programs work to build a new generation of conservation leaders. On Madagascar-an island of unparalleled biodiversity-local organizations work with schools to mold education in conservation right into the curriculum. In some case, children learn about lemurs, chameleons, and other endemic species; their pride and responsibility for natural heritage are instilled in them. 

Marine protected areas based on communities in West Africa aid in the conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity. Resource exploitation by fishing communities in Senegal is managed through a combination of traditional knowledge with scientific approaches. All these factors contribute not only to the conservation of marine life but also to ensuring sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities. 

Community engagement in terms of anti-poaching is fairly exemplary. Presently, in most parts of Africa, former poachers are being trained as wildlife guardians, whereby, using their very acquired knowledge of the land, they help in protecting the very animals they used to hunt. This does not only offer an alternative livelihood but can also turn potential foes into very strong allies in conservation. 

Education efforts are not only restricted to formal education. In Africa, community workshops and outreach, radio talk shows, and mobile phone applications are being used to raise awareness about biodiversity and its conservation. In Ethiopia, the awareness of the importance of forest ecosystems was enhanced through participatory forest management programs; hence, the country enjoys the highest forest cover in Africa. 

Urban areas are thus also becoming hotbeds where education about biodiversity has a chance of spreading. Botanical gardens in cities like Cape Town and Entebbe are being transformed into active, living classrooms where the use and appreciation of plant diversity are taught to visiting laymen. Across the continent, community-driven urban agriculture projects improve food security while teaching people about issues of agrobiodiversity. 

Increasingly, technology supports these efforts. For example, in the Congo Basin, indigenous peoples use smartphones linked to GPS for mapping and monitoring the availability of forest resources, thus combining traditional knowledge with modern tools. These tools do facilitate conservation and assertion of land rights by communities. 

Even though this area relates to community engagement and education in the conservation of biodiversity, however, it is not as easy as we may think. It can be hampered by minimal resources, competing economic interests, and the scale of the task. The immediate challenge will be in the ability to find a balance between conservation goals and the immediate needs of many communities that directly depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. 

Despite this approach running into its share of problems, the results of community-led conservation are getting clearer day by day. Success stories range from the remarkable recovery of mountain gorilla populations in Central Africa to the restoration of degraded Sahel lands; indeed, the successes attributed to active, educated community-driven conservation are varied in the literature. 

These do not represent conservation initiatives toward the flora and fauna but the complex web of life that sustains all. So in this regard, through community mobilization and education, we will not only be able to conserve biodiversity but also be able to conserve ecosystem services in a number of ecosystem processes such as water purification and carbon sequestration, which are quite vital in our struggles with the change in climate. 

If we peer into the future, it becomes clear that biodiversity conservation in Africa is going to require collaborative efforts— pooled resources and information coming from governments, NGOs, scientists, and local communities. However, at the heart of that kind of effort is an acknowledgment that biodiversity conservation would be impossible to impose from the outside. It must stem first and foremost from the aspirations and activities of local communities. 

The road ahead might be tough, but in the growing movement of community-led conservation that now spans the length and breadth of Africa, I draw hope. From the savannas to the rainforests, from rural villages to bustling cities, the defense of our natural heritage is taking place with Africans at the forefront. We are conserving through involvement and education the biodiversity of flora, which is not just present on our continent but is quintessential to the sustainable future of our planet. 

One of my favorite African proverbs goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In our journey of preserving Africa’s great biodiversity, it is quite clear we have to walk together, hand in hand with our communities, armed with knowledge and a shared commitment in seeing the natural world that sustains us all live on.