AFRICAN
CONSERVATION AND WEB SITES FOR AFRICA FROM
AFRICANWEBSITES.NET
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The programme goal of
SADC Regional Programme
for Rhino Conservation : Southern
African rhino taxa maintained in viable and well
distributed metapopulations as flagship species for biodiversity conservation
within the SADC region.
Programme objective: A pragmatic regional rhino
strategy implemented within the SADC region following the acquisition of
sound information on, firstly, the constraints and opportunities for rhino
conservation within each range state and secondly, the constraints and
opportunities for rhino metapopulation management at the regional level.
Conditionalities : Five conditions have been agreed upon as necessary to
be met by projects requiring support from the SADC Rhino Conservation
Programme, namely:
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Projects must be of a SADC regional nature or importance;
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Projects must be limited to subspeciesCeratotherium simum simum, Diceros bicornis minor, Diceros bicornis bicornis ;
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Fundamental rhino management issues such as land use economics, community involvement, etc. must be taken into account;
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Both public and private rhino conservation projects will be considered, and
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Implementation must make use of existing institutions and linkages.
The
International Crane
Foundation (ICF) works worldwide to conserve cranes and the wetland
and grasslands communities on which they depend. ICF is dedicated to providing
experience,
knowledge, and inspiration to involve people in resolving
threats to these ecosystems. To accomplish this mission, the
International Crane
Foundation (a private, non-profit organization) relies on a wide
range of education and conservation activities directed toward the many countries
where cranes occur. A collection of captive cranes is maintained at their
headquarters near
Baraboo
, Wisconsin, allowing them to pursue two vital techniques
for crane preservation: captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild.
Their work also demonstrates endangered species management for the public,
and facilitates breeding and education efforts with cranes elsewhere in the
United States and abroad. ICF is also concerned with habitat protection and
restoration. Cranes are excellent indicators of the health of wetland and
grassland ecosystems worldwide. ICF strives to alert
scientists,
government officials, and the public to the dependence of cranes on their
habitats, the causes and remedies for habitat destruction, and the importance
of wetlands and grasslands for both wildlife and people. ICF supports research,
serving primarily as a catalyst for research, by making available its facilities
and bird collection to scientists, by sponsoring workshops and publications,
and by fostering a network among conservationists, biologists, and managers
around the world.
The Wildlife and
Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) was founded in 1947 as the
Nyasaland Fauna Preservation Society. In the early
days, the aim was to protect wildlife, especially the larger mammals. In
the 1950's and '60's, WESM was active in proposing and helping to establish
reserves and parks such as Lengwe, Majete, Mwabvi and Nyika. It also successfully
campaigned for tighter hunting controls. By the late 1980s members were beginning
to feel uncomfortable with 'Fauna' as their focus and considerable debate
preceded a new constitution. The Society changed its name to the Wildlife
Society
o
f Malawi in 1989 to encompass both flora and fauna.
A greater understanding of the need to include villages bordering the reserves
and parks and villages on customary land also influenced the nature of work
undertaken. The growing burden of work led to the decision to set up a
professional headquarters in 1992. With this came a further development of
activities; a large range of publications; the initiation of projects and
the employment of professional staff. Recently, the name of
the
organisation changed to Wildlife and Environmental
Society of Malawi (WESM). By 1995, the WESM had established itself as
a significant influence in Malawi at both local and national level. It has
been involved in developing the National Environmental Action Plan; and sector
policies in the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Department of
Forestry and Department of Environmental Affairs. It is a membership, non-profit
making, Non-Governmental Organisation. The membership includes companies,
institutions, individuals and school-based wildlife clubs. WESM does not
yet have a website but you can email
them.
COMPASS - Community Partnerships for Sustainable
Resource Management - in Malawi. The
COMPASS
activity in Malawi is designed to target people
and
institutions engaged in Community-Based Natural Resource Management initiatives
at national, district and local levels. Today in Malawi, CBNRM initiatives
are being supported by a variety of donor organizations, several key government
agencies and numerous local and international NGOs. Despite an apparent absence
of formal coordination of all these diverse efforts, there has been significant
progress
in sharing information and resources among many of the key players. Nevertheless,
much remains to be accomplished. Lack of coordination, cooperation and
collaboration among implementing agencies is common worldwide but experience
has shown that local institutions hold the key to sustaining the impact of
development efforts. Moreover, it is critical to recognize that local capacity
building is often a lengthy process that involves changing perception about
whose responsibility it is to do the work necessary to improve stewardship
of natural resources. A successful CBNRM activity involves inspiring confidence
in the process, seeing extension agents and NGOs play a service role, seeing
tangible monetary benefits, and having the ability to make choices concerning
the use of resources. There must be a process to help communities examine
their internal make-up and the differences among groups within the community.
This involves the following:
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determining what is ecologically sustainable and
achieving
improved management of resources as well as economic growth;
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helping communities distribute the proceeds of their work equitably;
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building NGOs that can support communities in their efforts to undertake CBNRM; and
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helping all Malawians benefit from environmentally sound and sustainable management of their natural resources.
In essence, the last of these is the ultimate goal of COMPASS and the DAI/DMA Team is committed to achieving results that will accomplish this and meet USAID/Malawi's strategic objective for the environment.
The
Malawi Ornithological
Society was formed in 1996. The society was primarly created to support
ornithological
research efforts in Malawi. The
Malawi Ornithological
Society has since mostly supported and coordinated research projects
in collaboration with Museums of Malawi's Department of Ornithology. The
society was primarily created to support ornithological research efforts
in Malawi. Their mission : To become a premier ornithological and national
institute for the promotion of ornithology and avian conservation in Malawi.
Their goals :
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to promote Malawi ornithology through research and education
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to promote avian conservation through ornithology and by putting people first, thus integrating people in conservation and research we believe our goals will be attained.
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to become a Birdlife Partner thereby maximizing national and global goals
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to promoting ornithology and avian conservation through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
The BFA
(Biodiversity
Foundation for Africa) is committed to conserving Afrotropical
biodiversity through the improvement of scientific knowledge
and its incorporation in the planning process. The BFA is a Zimbabwe-registered
non-profit Trust, formed in Bulaway in 1992 by a group of scientists and
environmentalists. The group works in collaboration with scientists
and
institutions in the south and central African
region, UK and the USA. It consists of a number of professional affiliates
internationally recognised in their fields. Most are taxonomists or ecologists
based in the region. Among them, these individuals have many years of experience
in their discipline and access to a wide knowledge base, much of which has
not been formally published. The BFA solicits funds from donors and others
to carry out research into Afrotropical biodiversity, including field surveys
and documentation of existing information. Its particuar area of interest
is south-central Africa. You can
visit their
new website now for more information.
For more information on Malawi, click here.
If you would like to
contact us please email
terry@africanconservation.org
