A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR

As the Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) continues to grow and expand its reach, we have decided to produce an occasional short newsletter to update you on key activities and outputs. Welcome to the AWEI Updates May 2024 edition.

2024 is an exciting year for the wildlife economy in Africa and for the work of the Institute. The Southern African Development Community has launched its Wildlife Economy Framework and South Africa has launched its  Biodiversity Economy Strategy. AWEI was invited to present at both launches and we look forward to contributing to their implementation. Across the continent, in response to the  Global  Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets on the use of wild species, we are seeing an increasing interest in linking landscapes to livelihoods through the wildlife economy. In support of the GBF targets, we are hosting an online series of dialogues on the use of wild species in East Africa, and we will be engaging in wildlife economy discussions at the upcoming IUCN Africa Conservation Forum.

We are strengthening our capacity to undertake impactful research with our first doctoral student, Lydia Bhebe. We are also reaching out to the AWEI Community and beyond for papers to be presented at our  Wildlife  Economy Colloquium taking place at Stellenbosch University in early November. Working with our partners, including the Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, the Atlas Network, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, and the Zimbabwe Environment Law Association, we are busy with several activities – preparations for the Oppenheimer Research Conference, developing our internal capacity to mobilise funding for our work, creating an induction course For  South Africa's  CITES  Scientific Authority on sustainable wildlife trade, and exploring opportunities to scale up wildlife-based tourism in Namibia and South Africa. This is not to mention our ongoing research and engagements in the wild meat sector, wildlife enterprise development, and standards for wildlife harvesting and use. Be sure to visit our website for our latest articles, reports, and events. Please join us on social media – we are active on LinkedIn,X, and Facebook. Also, please contact us directly at any time at awei@sun.ac.za.

Dr Francis Vorhies, AWEI Director

2023 AWEI IMPACT REPORT


We are proud to announce the launch of our Impact Report. Discover the key outcomes of our thought leadership, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building initiatives of 2023. From evolved thinking to strengthened pathways for sustainable trade, we're committed to driving positive change in the African wildlife economy.

READ OUR IMPACT REPORT

    AWEI NEW DIALOGUE SERIES: EXPLORING EAST AFRICA'S WILDLIFE ECONOMY


Across East Africa, people use wild species, and this use contributes to both conservation and human well-being. In this series, we will discuss various uses of wild species in East Africa’s wildlife economy. How are wild species being used in East Africa to provide benefits to people? What are the policy pathways for ensuring that the use of wild species is sustainable?

Diarise these dates:

Wild Food - 16 May 2024

Wild Oils - 23 May 2024

Wild Fuels - 30 May 2024

Wild Carbon - 6 June 2024

Wild Use Tourism - 13 June 2024

Wild Policy - 20 June 2024

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 AWEI  COMMENTS ON THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY STRATEGY

 

AWEI provided comments on the draft South African Biodiversity Economy Strategy published in March 2024. Our comments aimed to strengthen the strategy that was drafted to conserve South Africa’s biodiversity by delivering inclusive benefits to all through the sustainable use of the country’s wild species and the landscapes they live in.

 

VIEW COMMENTS

 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: WILDLIFE ECONOMY COLLOQUIUM


Join us as we bring together researchers, scholars, and experts to discuss their work and key issues and opportunities arising from the development of a sustainable and inclusive wildlife economy, with a particular focus on Africa.

AWEIIf you are interested in presenting, please submit an abstract. We will consider papers on any topic relevant to the wildlife economy in Africa.

 

 

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

 ZIMBABWE WILDLIFE ECONOMY SERIES


In case you missed it, you can catch the recordings of our fascinating dialogue series that AWEI, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), ShareScreen Africa, and Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation hosted on the research being done into the wildlife economy in Zimbabwe and the key outcomes of the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Report published in 2023.

 

WATCH THE SERIES

NEW TEAM MEMBER 

 

Lydia Beebe, AWEI's 1st PHD Student

 

AWEI welcomes Lydia Bhebe as our 1st PDH Student. Lydia's research explores the interconnected dimensions of human, animal, and ecosystem health within the game meat industry, to promote evidence-based conservation strategies and foster sustainable wildlife economies. Lydia hopes to empower individuals and communities to become active participants in conservation efforts and contribute to a sustainable future for all.

MEET OUR COMMUNITY

LATEST CONTENT

Catch up with all the latest additions to our website

Collaborative governance models  of wild product  value chains for conservation and livelihood  resilience

Thapelo Brilliant Lebopa

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SA’s new biodiversity strategy is a  key move away from colonial fortress conservation

Thompson et al.

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Ensuring the use of wild species  benefits people

Dr Francis Vorhies and Dr Wiseman Ndlovu

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South Africa’s conservation model:  why expanding the use of  biodiversity to generate money is a good idea

Dr Hayley Clements, Dr Matthew F. Child, and Alta De Vos

READ ARTICLE