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 15 countries.
The challenge
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.
Our approach
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:
- Tropical forests (e.g. Congo Basin): Sustainably managing hunting and wild meat demand, while diversifying alternative protein sources and income.
- Savannah lands (e.g. Southern Africa): Ensuring sustainable and legal wildlife use, and reducing human-wildlife conflict.
- Wetlands (e.g. Sahel): Conserving wetland resources for migratory birds through the RESSOURCE+ project.
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Our impact
Wildlife
Introducing sustainable wildlife management practices in 37 000 km² of forest, 17 000 km² of savannah and in 32 major 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.
International policy
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).
Global partnership
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:
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)
- Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
News
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World Wildlife Day 2025: SWM Programme newest products released!
03/03/2025
On World Wildlife Day 2025, the SWM Programme released three new products to celebrate its efforts in improving the conservation and sustainable...
FAO Launches Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme in Lao PDR
10/02/2025
FAO Launches Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme in Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Address Biodiversity, Food Security, and Zoonotic Risks.
The...
Community-based monitoring in the context of sustainable wildlife management & biodiversity conservation in tropical countries
17/01/2025
A new publication from the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme sets out guiding principles for ensuring communities around the world...
New video out! Reducing human-wildlife-conflict with a community mapping game
19/12/2024
This community training video is part of an SWM Programme toolkit on human-wildlife-conflict (HWC).
New video out!Five benefits of farming insects in Madagascar
10/12/2024
This video showcases the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme's efforts to diversify protein sources as alternatives to wild meat.
Supported by
Consortium partners
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