Conserving Africa’s wildlife and wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond
Peter Lindsey
(1, 2)
,
James Allan
(3)
,
Peadar Brehony
(4)
,
Amy Dickman
(5)
,
Ashley Robson
(6)
,
Colleen Begg
(7)
,
Hasita Bhammar
(8)
,
Lisa Blanken
(9)
,
Thomas Breuer
(10)
,
Kathleen Fitzgerald
(11)
,
Michael Flyman
(12)
,
Patience Gandiwa
(13)
,
Nicia Giva
(14)
,
Dickson Kaelo
(15)
,
Simon Nampindo
(16)
,
Nyambe Nyambe
(17)
,
Kurt Steiner
(18)
,
Andrew Parker
(19)
,
Dilys Roe
(20)
,
Paul Thomson
(21)
,
Morgan Trimble
(18)
,
Alexandre Caron
(22, 14, 23)
,
Peter Tyrrell
(24, 25)
1
University of Pretoria [South Africa]
2 Griffith University [Brisbane]
3 IBED - Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics
4 CAM - University of Cambridge [UK]
5 University of Oxford
6 University of Cape Town
7 TRT Conservation Fondation
8 World Bank Group
9 GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
10 WWF - Fonds mondial pour la nature
11 Conservation Capital
12 Department of Wildlife and National Parks
13 Department of Wildlife and National ParksParks and Wildlife Management Authority
14 UEM - Université Eduardo Mondlane
15 Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
16 WCS - Wildlife Conservation Society
17 Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat
18 Independent Consultant
19 Conserve Africa
20 IIED - International Institute for Environment and Development
21 Wildlife Conservation Network
22 UMR ASTRE - Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes
23 Cirad-BIOS - Département Systèmes Biologiques
24 South Rift Association of Landowners
25 UoN - University of Nairobi
2 Griffith University [Brisbane]
3 IBED - Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics
4 CAM - University of Cambridge [UK]
5 University of Oxford
6 University of Cape Town
7 TRT Conservation Fondation
8 World Bank Group
9 GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
10 WWF - Fonds mondial pour la nature
11 Conservation Capital
12 Department of Wildlife and National Parks
13 Department of Wildlife and National ParksParks and Wildlife Management Authority
14 UEM - Université Eduardo Mondlane
15 Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
16 WCS - Wildlife Conservation Society
17 Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat
18 Independent Consultant
19 Conserve Africa
20 IIED - International Institute for Environment and Development
21 Wildlife Conservation Network
22 UMR ASTRE - Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risques et Ecosystèmes
23 Cirad-BIOS - Département Systèmes Biologiques
24 South Rift Association of Landowners
25 UoN - University of Nairobi
Peter Lindsey
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Thomas Breuer
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 795163
- ORCID : 0000-0002-8387-5712
Dilys Roe
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- PersonId : 798378
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6547-6427
Alexandre Caron
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- IdHAL : alexandre-caron
- ORCID : 0000-0002-5213-3273
- IdRef : 233171266
Résumé
In Africa, COVID-19 has created a perfect storm of reduced funding, restrictions on the operations of conservation agencies, and elevated human threats to nature. This Perspective discusses solutions to move beyond this immediate crisis.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 illness are driving a global crisis. Governments have responded by restricting human movement, which has reduced economic activity. These changes may benefit biodiversity conservation in some ways, but in Africa, we contend that the net conservation impacts of COVID-19 will be strongly negative. Here, we describe how the crisis creates a perfect storm of reduced funding, restrictions on the operations of conservation agencies, and elevated human threats to nature. We identify the immediate steps necessary to address these challenges and support ongoing conservation efforts. We then highlight systemic flaws in contemporary conservation and identify opportunities to restructure for greater resilience. Finally, we emphasize the critical importance of conserving habitat and regulating unsafe wildlife trade practices to reduce the risk of future pandemics.