Zimbabwe is advancing its conservation approach with community-driven initiatives as it seeks to balance economic growth and biodiversity preservation. The recent National Convention on Community Conservancies provided an opportunity to explore how Zimbabwe can further its goals for sustainable livelihoods through an inclusive conservation model.
At the heart of this model is the CAMPFIRE program, launched in 1989, which has become central to Zimbabwe’s natural resource management. By involving communities in managing wildlife resources, the program has fostered local ownership and sustainable use. Today, the program’s principles are evolving to address new conservation challenges. Modernized legislation, such as the revised Parks and Wildlife Act, aims to reinforce this model by enhancing community conservancies and establishing a dedicated Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund. These efforts demonstrate a commitment to creating localized management structures, directly benefiting communities while protecting natural resources.
Zimbabwe’s active participation in global environmental agreements, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, reflects a vision of conservation that is both sustainable and inclusive. The government has set 23 measurable targets for 2030, focusing on reducing biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems, and integrating communities into wildlife management. This alignment with international standards underpins Zimbabwe’s strategic conservation framework, ensuring that the country’s approach remains relevant and impactful.
President Mnangagwa’s administration views community conservancies not only as conservation tools but as vehicles for economic growth. By supporting the creation of community conservancies, the government is addressing pressing environmental challenges like habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict, while also empowering communities to benefit from natural resources sustainably. The emphasis on land rights, policy reform, and support for conservancies aligns with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 goal of achieving an upper-middle-income economy. Communities will have the potential to contribute meaningfully to the economy through localized resource management, strengthening Zimbabwe’s rural economy.
The commitment to integrating local voices into environmental stewardship highlights the government’s recognition that conservation success requires local participation. As Zimbabwe continues to address climate change and economic growth, community conservancies offer a model for a resilient, environmentally conscious economy. Through partnerships with international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector, Zimbabwe is paving the way for a sustainable future where environmental health and economic prosperity are interlinked.
Zimbabwe’s community conservancies represent a promising approach to conservation, placing communities at the forefront of stewardship while driving sustainable development.
