Based on information collected on People not Poaching, plus three regional workshops with representatives from twelve case studies, this report presents evidence to show that there are many commonalities between the factors that have led to, or limited, success across case studies. Collectively, these community-based antiIWT approaches reveal a series of overarching lessons learned, which include important considerations when funding, designing and implementing antiIWT interventions.
Key points
- Relying only on law enforcement to stop poaching is difficult, expensive, and only rarely effective
- Communities have borne costs of conservation and anti-IWT efforts have worsened this
- Empowering communities and increasing the value of wildlife to them can have much broader conservation benefits
- Communities can be powerful and positive agents in combatting IWT
- It is not just about benefits but also about reducing costs
Suggested citation
People not Poaching. (2022). Engaging communities to tackle illegal wildlife trade – lessons from Southeast Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa. IIED and IUCN SULi, London.
A report of twelve case studies from across the globe providing insights and key lessons learned from community-based approaches to tackle illegal wildlife trade.
The term ‘integrated landscape initiative’ (ILI) has gained popularity as an ‘umbrella concept’ that describes projects that aim to explicitly improve food production, biodiversity conservation, and rural livelihoods on a landscape scale.
It describes approaches that consider the entire landscape, including its environmental, social, and economic aspects, by bringing together diverse stakeholders to manage land use in a way that balances competing needs, aiming for sustainable outcomes across the whole system, rather than focusing on isolated issues within the landscape.