African Network on Poverty and Conservation
Geographical location:
Africa/Madagascar
Africa/Madagascar > Africa General
Summary
The African Network on Poverty and Conservation is a three year project to support the integration of livelihood issues into conservation programmes in the region.
Based on a WWF Network-wide consultation, WWF has developed a poverty policy that recognises the need to address social development issues. This ensures that investments are maximised and social needs are further integrated into conservation interventions.
WWF in Africa has stated its vision and this project outlines a strategy on how to best take the poverty and conservation agenda forward. This project identifies next steps for investment and how to take ownership of this agenda while optimising the use of existing experience and commitment from all around the WWF Network.
Background
The African Network on Poverty and Conservation is a project to support the integration of livelihood issues into conservation programmes in the region.
The project is the outcome of a WWF Network consultation in February 2009, which was followed up a year later in a workshop at Lake Naivasha, Kenya. During this time, a WWF poverty policy was developed and endorsed at the highest level.
WWF in Africa has expressed a desire to become a leader in the sustainable development debate in the region. It recognises the need to address social development issues, ensuring that investments are maximised. WWF’s agenda demands that investment address social needs whilst incorporating conservation actions. In this context, social development covers a wide range of poverty related issues, including for example livelihoods, health, vulnerability, access to natural resources, indigenous people and rights issues. This project outlines a strategy on how to best take the poverty and conservation agenda forward. The project identifies next steps for a 3 year investment and how to take ownership of this agenda while optimising the use of existing experience and commitment from all around the Network.
Objectives
The strategy recognises that WWF’s understanding of the links between nature and poverty are sometimes weak, and that there is no comprehensive assessment of experiences in the field. The implementation of this strategy is considered a catalyst to a process in which WWF in Africa can become a genuine leader in the social development debate, linking poverty and conservation.
The strategy outlines 3 steps:
1. A clear assessment of where WWF stands in terms of understanding the links, impact, volume, capacity, partnerships and programme development when working on social development issues in conservation approaches.
2. Identification of capacity needs and strategic partnerships so that a process of institutional strengthening and mainstreaming can start immediately.
3. Monitoring and communications will be undertaken throughout and supervised by a management committee.
Solution
1. Social development diagnosis/assessment of ongoing Africa and Madagascar (AMP) programme including participatory capacity assessment
- Tool development/methodology
- Tool roll-out
- Country backstopping
- In country workshop
- Amalgamation of 18 country data
2. Embedding
- Endorsement by various SMTs
- Integration into regional and country strategic planning
- Use development partner in strategic planning
- Programme development
- Mainstreaming sustainable development into projects
- Resource mobilisation
4. Capacity building
- Identify dedicated country lead
- Resources for in country capacity building
- Livelihood workshop
5. Communications
- Web-based platform/centre of excellence
6. Monitoring and evaluation
- Indicator development
- Training for embedding livelihoods indicators in monitoring
- End of initiative review
7. Coordination
- Network wide Social Development for Conservation (SD4C) support
- Management Committee
- Naivasha II workshop
- Secretariat
