Wildlife ACT will lead the human-wildlife coexistence component and focus on strengthening partnerships among communities, NGOs, government, park management and the private sector. Meanwhile, People Nature Connect (PNC) will support informal sector businesses to create more resilient livelihoods and assist the stakeholder engagement processes through targeted capacity building.
The project will develop and test an inclusive and participatory approach to engage with communities to assess and resolve issues. Drawing on the lessons learned from WWF’s implementation of the Safe Systems methodology and the Khetha program, the project seeks to strengthen the current approach in addressing the persistent community-related issues facing the HiP.
The project will deliver the following outputs: Output 1: Strengthen partnerships between communities, NGOs, government, park management, and the private sector. Output 2: Implementing measures to resolve human-wildlife conflict in hotspot areas around the park. This includes improving rapid response to incidents, expanding knowledge on potential damage-causing animals, and recruitment of 4 Community Conservation Monitors (CCMs). Output 3: Provide support to 45 informal sector businesses around HiP, including workshops, mentoring, and access to business opportunities.
The approach adopted in this project for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and other protected areas is novel and has the potential to revolutionise current conservation practices. It builds partnerships among Park stakeholders with diverse skills and expertise to tackle human-wildlife conflict and enhance the livelihoods of local communities. It also fosters collaboration by encouraging the inclusion of various voices, perspectives, and interests from within the community.
