WWF/Adena presents a report at the eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity shows how protecting pandas, tigers and gorillas not only prevents the extinction of these species but also improves the living standards of local human communities.

The report, which contains six case studies, shows that WWF/Adena’s species protection work has helped to eradicate poverty and hunger, as well as promote sustainable and just development in rural areas of countries such as Nepal, Uganda, India, Namibia, Costa Rica and China.

The case studies prove that the conservation and sustainable use of species and their habitats involves improved protection of forests, aquatic ecosystems and marine areas. As a result of environmental improvement, poor farmers who depend on these ecosystems gain greater access to the goods and services they provide. As a result, their incomes increase but, in addition, their access to drinking water, health, education and, very often, the situation of women also improves.

According to the report, many ecotourism projects based on wildlife observation (such as sea turtles, pandas and mountain gorillas) generate significant income for villages. By applying the knowledge gained from the movement of species within and between their territories, they get the best help in making sustainable land use planning a reality.

For example, in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, live turtles produce more profit for the local economy than their meat and eggs were ever worth on the market. The community therefore strongly supports conservation measures to increase ecotourism. Over the past 30 years, both the number of turtles and tourists have been steadily increasing.

The report also shows that more than 60% of people living in the area around Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which protects mountain gorilla habitats, feel that they benefit economically and socially from the forest. Other examples show that in China, harmful forestry practices in reserves decrease when alternative sources of income are provided to communities, such as the agricultural and livestock initiatives provided by WWF/Adena in the context of its giant panda conservation project. In Namibia, the creation of areas where local people can manage their wild resources has resulted in improved wildlife management, increased wildlife populations, ecotourism development, and higher incomes for communal enterprises.