Background
South Africa’s wild animals are of enormous importance for the balance of their ecosystem. The on-going biodiversity loss through habitat destruction, competing with humans, habitat fragmentation and poaching severely threatens this balance. But also from the economic point of view the animals become increasingly important as tourism is an essential source of income for South Africa. Especially rare animal species such as rhinos and wild dogs with high tourism potential benefit from this circumstance, because due to their economic importance their conservation will be easier to realize. The protection of these so-called flag ship species contributes to the protection of the whole area including a large number of animal and plant species.
Against this background, the Global Nature Fund, in conjunction with Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environmental Aid Organisation) and its local partner, Wildlands Conservation Trust, initiated a project linking biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction through the development of an environmentally sound wildlife tourism.
The project area, the Somkhanda Community Games Reserve in the north of KwaZulu Natal, is located in one of South Africa’s poorest regions. Over three quarters of the inhabitants have no regular income, HIV disease is widespread and the education opportunities with only one secondary school are insufficient. The Somkhanda Reserve is owned by the Gumbi Clan, and in 2010, was officially designated as a nature reserve in order to preserve its unique eco-system. This project providing both the urgently needed income opportunities as well as sustainable protection of the area’s biodiversity is being implemented together with the local people.