Zooming in on dollar-focused conservation

South Africa’s wildlife economy aims to boost biodiversity and national revenue. However, a group of Dutch academics is wondering if this is “socially and environmentally unsustainable”. The model relies heavily on fossil fuels, they claim, with luxury tourism and wildlife estates consuming significant energy and resources. The academics from Wageningen University argue that a market-driven approach perpetuates social inequalities and often ignores local realities in favour of global conservation goals. A "convivial" conservation approach is recommended, integrating humans and wildlife to foster a sustainable, care-based economy. Read more

• The academic article can be found here. 

• Conservation efforts historically began during the colonial era, establishing protected areas – initially for hunting interests.

• The 1960s saw the rise of private conservation enterprises, especially in southern Africa, leading to "fortress conservation" impacting rural populations.

• Community-based conservation emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, combining conservation with development but yielding mixed results.

• The late 1990s introduced transfrontier conservation or "peace parks," but rising wildlife crime led to a resurgence of fortress conservation.

• The wildlife economy claims to be moral and sustainable, even though critics suggest it is environmentally unsustainable due to its dependence on fossil fuels.

• “Convivial conservation” focuses on long-term coexistence, integrating diverse value systems and balancing biodiversity conservation with human needs.