Background

Africa’s ecosystems provide a wide variety of benefits to African nations, the international community and, most importantly, to local people, whose livelihoods are directly and inextricably linked to the continuing functioning of healthy ecosystems. Yet many African ecosystems are presently coming under mounting pressure from expanding human populations, and unsustainable natural resource use practices, leading to the loss of their biodiversity values as well as human livelihood functions. Despite being both important beneficiaries of healthy ecosystems and a major threat to the maintenance of ecosystem functions, local communities are often marginalised from the decision-making process governing use of ecosystem natural resources. The overall objective of this project was to pilot an Ecosystem Approach in two of the continent’s most important natural ecosystems, the Serengeti in Tanzania and North Luangwa in Zambia, designed to enable local communities to play a more central role in ecosystem conservation, sustainable use and management and to receive an inequitable share of ecosystem benefits.

Our contribution

CDC successfully developed the initial project proposal to the European Union, which was funded to a total of Euros 2.6 million dispersed over a five year timeframe. We also provided technical support to the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Tanzania National Parks and the Zambian Wildlife Authority during the start-up phase of the project. Our roles included: the provision of technical support for establishment of decentralised and cross-sectoral ecosystem institutional and financing mechanisms; developing the understanding of ecosystem structure, function, services, and management needs; and establishing adaptive ecosystem management and monitoring systems. During the project’s first two years, we also provided overall project administrative support, including personnel recruitment, activity planning, and financial management and budgeting.

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