The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is an international initiative that aims to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in forest, savannah, and wetland ecosystems. It contributes to improving the living conditions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who depend directly on wildlife, and to reducing the zoonotic risks associated with this use. Field projects are currently being piloted and teste with governments, national partners and communities in 16 countries.
Millions of people depend on wild meat for food and income, particularly Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tropical and subtropical regions of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia-Pacific. However, unsustainable levels of hunting are endangering wildlife populations. Currently, around 300 mammal species are at risk of extinction because of hunting for wild meat. The loss of wildlife populations not only impacts ecosystems but also threatens the food security of many poor rural communities.
The SWM Programme blends science, traditional knowledge, community rights, and innovation to empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities in natural resource management. Our region-specific goals include:
Wildlife
Introducing sustainable wildlife management practices in 9 000 km² of forest, 44 000 km² of savannah and in 122 Sahelian wetlands.
Communities
Working with over 80 communities in 16 countries on a wide diversity of food security and nature-based livelihood projects.
Legal
Triggering and informing legal reform processes in eight countries and providing access to statutory and customary law in over a dozen countries.
By addressing the important links between biodiversity, food, agriculture and health, and through its scaling up efforts, the SWM Programme is directly contributing to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The SWM Programme also contributes to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the implementation of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).
The SWM Programme is one of the largest European Union-funded biodiversity programmes and contributes to the European Global Gateway and NatureAfrica initiative. The SWM Programme also receives important co-funding and support from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD).
The SWM Programme is being implemented by a dynamic consortium of partners working together with governments and local communities. The consortium includes the:
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