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 tested with governments, national partners and communities in 16 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 and the many rural populations who depend on it, 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 NaturAfrica initiative. The SWM Programme also receives important co-funding and support from the French Global Environmental Facility (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
Read the New Congo Basin Newsletter!
29/01/2026
We are excited to announce that the first newsletter for the Congo Basin region was just published!
You will find information about the work of the...
New Video Out! Working together for wildlife and communities - #SWMProgramme impact and results
23/01/2026
This short video summarises the progress and impact of the of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in 15 participating countries between...
New Video Out! Wildlife translocation brings new opportunities to Mucheni Conservancy in Zimbabwe
21/01/2026
In Zimbabwe’s Mucheni Community Conservancy, 90 wild animals—impalas, kudus, and zebras—have been reintroduced through the EU-funded Sustainable Wildlife...
New Video Out! How spray races are protecting cattle, livelihoods and wildlife in Zambia
21/01/2026
In Zambia’s Kazungula District, where livestock and wildlife share the same landscapes, tick-borne diseases can devastate cattle and farmers’ incomes....
New video out! Implementation and impact of the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme
18/12/2025
Watch the video and listen to Hubert Boulet, Coordinator of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, who presents the impact of the initiative...
Supported by
Consortium partners
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