This year, the theme of International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB): "Harmony with nature and sustainable development", highlights the linkages between the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Goals and Targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) as two universal agendas that must be pursued in tandem in the spirit of the recently adopted Pact for the future.
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity urges everyone to tell a story on biodiversity and on the IDB 2025 theme. I have chosen to focus on some community-led actions to conserve biodiversity in Eastern Africa on both public and private estates that involve different actors.
Biodiversity in Eastern Africa—encompassing countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia—is among the richest in the world, featuring iconic wildlife such as elephants, lions, rhinos, and a variety of endemic plant species. However, increasing pressure from agriculture, deforestation, climate change, and human encroachment poses significant threats to ecosystems. In response, community-led conservation efforts have emerged as powerful tools to safeguard biodiversity while promoting sustainable development.
One of the most effective community-based approaches is the establishment of Community Conservancies. In Kenya, for example, the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) supports over 40 community conservancies across more than 42,000 square kilometers. These conservancies allow local people to manage wildlife and natural resources collectively. By involving communities in decision-making and providing benefits such as employment and revenue from ecotourism, the model encourages conservation as a shared interest. NRT reports a significant decline in poaching, with elephant poaching dropping from over 100 cases in 2012 to only four in 2019 (Northern Rangelands Trust, 2020). Additionally, some conservancies host endangered species sanctuaries, like the black rhino sanctuary in Sera (Northern Rangelands Trust, 2023).
In Tanzania, the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) serve a similar function. Local communities are granted rights to manage and benefit from wildlife on their lands. WWF-Tanzania (2019) notes that these WMAs have successfully reduced illegal hunting, with zero elephant carcasses found in 2019. Activities such as beekeeping, eco-tourism, and sustainable harvesting are integrated into these areas, creating incentives for long-term stewardship.
Agroforestry and sustainable agriculture also contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation. Farmers in Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda are increasingly adopting integrated systems that combine trees, crops, and livestock. Vi Agroforestry (2023) emphasizes that such methods halt deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and promote soil health. In the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania, the African Wildlife Foundation (2022) supports land-use planning and conservation-friendly agriculture, helping communities protect vital wildlife corridors while improving resilience to climate change.
Reviving and integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) has also proven crucial. The Maasai community’s seasonal grazing patterns, for example, naturally support grassland regeneration. NRT’s model embraces Indigenous leadership and ecological knowledge, shifting conservation from “human-free” to inclusive and locally governed landscapes (Northern Rangelands Trust, 2023). Similarly, the African Wildlife Foundation (n.d.) highlights the Manyara Ranch Conservancy in Tanzania, managed jointly by Maasai pastoralists and conservationists, as a model of coexistence.
Education and inclusion are also at the heart of community-led conservation. In Uganda, WWF has established school wildlife clubs to engage young people (WWF-Uganda, 2023). Meanwhile, AWF’s Classroom Africa initiative has helped protect over 223,000 acres of wild lands by linking conservation commitments to rural school support (African Wildlife Foundation, 2021). Women’s participation is equally impactful. In Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains, Farm Africa (2022) reports that women-led cooperatives helped reduce deforestation by 58% and raised forest community incomes by 143%.
Despite these successes, challenges remain, such as limited funding, land tenure conflicts, and human-wildlife conflict. Continued support from governments, NGOs, and international partners is essential. With proper legal rights, technical support, and economic incentives, community-led conservation can secure East Africa’s unique biodiversity for generations to come.
References
African Wildlife Foundation. (2021, October 25). Classroom Africa: Inspiring young people about conservation. https://www.awf.org/news/classroom-africa-inspiring-young-people-about-conservation
African Wildlife Foundation. (2022). Elephant conservation progress report 2022. https://www.awf.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/AWF_Elephant_Progress_Report_2022.pdf
African Wildlife Foundation. (n.d.). Tanzania: AWF in action – Manyara Ranch. https://www.awf.org/programs/tanzania/manyara-ranch
Farm Africa. (2022, September 6). How women are leading the way in forest conservation in Bale, Ethiopia. https://www.farmafrica.org/latest/news/post/1034-how-women-are-leading-the-way-in-forest-conservation-in-bale-ethiopia
International Analog Forestry Network (2024). Biodiversity is a priority. Community-led landscape restoration applying Analog Forestry - Stories from Peru, Nepal, and Uganda. https://analogforestry.org/analog-forestry-case-studies/
Northern Rangelands Trust. (2020). Status of wildlife report 2005–2019: Impact of NRT-member community conservancies on wildlife in northern Kenya. NRT Ecological Monitoring Program. https://www.nrt-kenya.org/wildlife-report-2005-2019
Northern Rangelands Trust. (2023). Annual summary 2023. https://www.nrt-kenya.org/annual-report-2023
Vi Agroforestry. (2023). Strategy 2023–2027: Fighting poverty and climate change. https://viagroforestry.org/what-we-do/strategy-2023-2027/
World Wide Fund for Nature – Tanzania. (2019). Annual report 2019. https://www.wwf.or.tz
World Wide Fund for Nature – Uganda. (2023). Annual report FY2022–23. https://www.wwfuganda.org
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