The Covid-19 pandemic created multiple disruptions to how society works: the near-total suspension of global travel was one of these. Where global tourism revenues helped to deliver biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods, the pandemic dramatically altered the trajectory of many local economies.
It is no exaggeration to say that the collapse of wildlife tourism threatens to compromise decades of development and conservation work in nature-rich and emblematic parts of Africa. It also made the frailty of nature conservation and livelihoods dependent on nature-based tourism increasingly apparent. How can we regain what we have lost while building a more resilient future, looking beyond tourism, for people and nature conservation in Africa?
For this initiative, the Luc Hoffmann Institute partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Maliasili, Vizzuality, Wilderness Safaris, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), The Nature Conservancy, Resource Africa, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The Lion's Share, The Global Environment Facility (GEF), Boundless Southern Africa, the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, and Cordio East Africa.
Developing a platform for sustaining conservation and communities in Africa
The initial proposal for the African Collaborative Platform, drafted by the Luc Hoffmann Institute and discussed at the 20 May 2020 convening.
COVID-19 and Conservation
A March 2020 blog post by Luc Hoffmann Institute Advisory Council member Bill Adams in his series Thinking like a human which inspired the institute’s COVID-19 response.
COVID 19 and sustainable tourism: Information resources and links
A collection of resources by Dr Anna Spenceley including ideas to help resilience and recovery, market research and intelligence, impacts on tourism and destinations, virtual tours and ideas to keep us inspired, and more.
Innovative business models for life on Earth
A Luc Hoffmann Institute thought leadership initiative pointing to possible new ways to sustain conservation and livelihoods. The initiative contributes to the third stream of the Collaborative Platform by helping to source longer-term measures to improve the resilience of African conservation strategies.
Building Back Better: a Marshall Plan for Natural Capital (external document)
A plan on reversing the decline in Sub-Saharan African GDP in Nature-Based Tourism Sector from COVID-19
Editorial Essay: COVID-19 and Protected and Conserved Areas (external document)
This special editorial provides a snapshot of how protected and conserved areas around the world are being impacted by COVID-19. For many protected and conserved areas, negative impacts on management capacity, budgets and effectiveness are significant, as are impacts on the livelihoods of communities living in and around these areas.
A number of other organisations generously offered financial and/or in-kind support, including:
African Leadership University
African Parks
African Safari Foundation
Conservation Capital
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Frankfurt Zoological Society
MAVA Foundation
PeaceParks
Resource Africa
Ride Botswana
Royal African Safaris
Southern Africa Trust
UN Environment Programme
