u
AWF is helping local
communities to plan 50 to
100 years into the future and
manage their land holistically
to ensure long-term sustainable
livestock keeping.
L
ivestock keeping is a vital livelihood
for those living in the national park
buffer zones of the Regional Parc W
Heartland. Growing competition over
land and natural resources has led to
increasing pressure on protected areas
and biodiversity, however. To reverse this
trend, AWF is helping communities to
improve their land use and plan for their
future in a way that sustainably leverages
this source of livelihood for the long term.
The Livestock for Livelihoods Project,
supported by the African Union
Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources
(AU IBAR), approaches livestock
issues from the perspective of Holistic
Management. Communities envision how
they want their lands and livelihoods
to be in 50 to 100 years, and all project
components are holistically managed to
hew to this plan.
After a delay in implementation, Livestock
for Livelihoods is underway and
nearing completion of its second year
(of a three-year project). AWF is now
working with six communities in Niger,
Burkina Faso, and Benin on several
project components, including land-use
planning, conflict resolution related to
land use, new livestock market access,
and women's enterprises. When fully
implemented, Livestock for Livelihoods
is intended to reverse desertification in
the region; improve soil health; enhance
economic opportunities; and allow for
the sustainable coexistence of livestock,
agriculture, and wildlife.
At the nexUs oF LAnDs AnD LivestocK
The program is
intended to reverse
desertification
in the region
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