HIVAIDS and Conservation Update

1
HIV/AIDS and Conservation Update

• Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group
• For CI Annual Planning Meeting
• Interactive Session
• 4 May 2004

2
Linkages between HIV/AIDS and Conservation

• Loss of capacity for conservation
• Increased natural resource use
• Changes in land use

3
Loss of conservation capacity

• Loss of human resources for
  conservation (capacity in Africa
  limited)
• Loss of community champions
• Loss of social structures for resource management
• Less time in communities for CBNRM
• Financial costs through diversion of conservation
  funds

4
Increased natural resource use

• Natural resources provide alternative livelihood
  strategies (economic and food security benefits)
• medicinal plants, wildlife, food plants, fuelwood
• Can result in overuse of resources
• timber, wildlife, charcoal, medicinal plants

5
Land-use changes

• More extensive farming - often more damaging to
  biodiversity
• Loss of indigenous knowledge about land
  management and resource use
• Land inheritance
• widows and orphans
• often do not inherit

6
Longer term impacts

• Resource and
• environmental degradation
• Increased poverty
• Insecurity

7
Conservation sector solutions

• Try to maintain capacity
• Conduct applied research and analysis to better
  understand linkages between HIV/AIDS and
  conservation
• Seek alternatives to unsustainable practices and
  livelihoods
• Promote benefits of sustainable natural resource
  management to alleviate impacts of HIV/AIDS
• Communicate experiences / promote best practices

8
New Developments since 2003

• International Conferences
• World Parks Congress
• College of African Wildlife Management 40th
  Anniversary Symposium
• Global Biodiversity Forum for Africa
• World Conservation Congress
• Organizational Policies
• Ezemeulo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife
• Namibian Association of CBNRM Supporting
  Organizations (NACSO)
• African Wildlife Foundation

9
New Developments since 2003

• Field Activities
• AIDS Awareness to Action Campaign in Lengwe
  National Park, Malawi
• Organization for Conservation of Natural
  Resources and the Combat of HIV/AIDS (OCRA),
  Kenya
• Research by Kwa Zulu Natal Wildlife, South Africa
• Research by FAO in the Miombo Woodlands
• Community of Practice launched with
  USAID-sponsored FRAME
• http//www.abcg.org