Africa depends on wildlife conservation to drive economic development, not just in tourism but in fisheries, farming and more, according to executive director Richard Vigne of the African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation. Even the growth in protected conservation areas across the last 50 years has led to failure in protecting species in 80% of their locations. “We need to advance beyond the conventional thinking and actively foster the expansion of Africa’s wildlife economy,” says Vigne. Kenya, Namibia, and Uganda represent just a few of the success stories of wildlife conservation in service to economic empowerment. “We need to build partnership, bringing together conservationists, investors, entrepreneurs and technologists to help unlock the potential of Africa’s wildlife economy,” Vigne says.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 26, 2023 09:42 UTC