It is estimated that Africa's 8600+ protected and conserved areas need up to $1,000 per square kilometer each year to sustain biodiversity. On average, they are actually managed on less than $50. Conservation organizations can only do so much.
The long-term responsibility for protecting wildlife and their habitats in Africa must ultimately fall to Africa's wildlife authorities, Indigenous peoples, and local communities. Severe budget shortfalls exacerbated by revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic prevent authorities from doing the real work on the ground. In 2021, one protected area director described spending more time under a broken-down car than actually driving it; ceilings falling down; and struggling to afford boots for rangers. Some park rangers live in housing without electricity or running water.
During COVID-19, African Wildlife Foundation's emergency response helped to fill in the short-term gap by providing food, fuel, salary stipends, and more to keep protected areas running. Now, we are working to expand a long-term solution: championing funding for conservation that is:
- independent and African-led,
- targeted to support Africa's official protected and conserved areas,
- designed to track accountability for how the funds are used,
- and planned to achieve conservation results through the long term.
Without adequate funding, Africa's protected area managers, rangers, and conservation scientists can't focus on saving wildlife. Sign now and show your support for conservation funding solutions that get resources to the stewards on the ground who need it most.
