Blog

An elephant eating green bushes.

Why local communities support Zimbabwe’s plan to cull 200 elephants

The Zimbabwean government recently announced its intention to cull 200 of its 95,000 elephants to feed its people. Communities living with elephants in the country consider this to be step in the right direction.

As a member of one of the communities living alongside elephants, I warmly welcomed this strategy. During a drought, conflict with elephants increases – they damage crops and leave people without anything to feed their families. This cull will also provide an important source of meat for people who are struggling to survive.

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in Blog / Zimbabwe
A crowd poses on a green hillside.

Mobilising the youth and planting trees in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Academia Group of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) organised two major events during the second half of 2024 to raise environmental awareness. The first activity was organised around International Youth Day on the 12th of August, which was used to remind young people that the future of humanity rests on their shoulders. The second activity was dedicated to National Tree Day on the 10th of October, which was designed to highlight the role of trees and their relationship with all ecosystems, and to draw attention to the urgent need for action on climate change and the need for sustainable development in our country. 

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in Blog / DRC
A dirt road through a woodland.

Enabling Conditions for effective Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Magoe National Park, Mozambique

Placing communities at the heart of conservation efforts involves not only acknowledging their role as guardians of biodiversity but also recognising them as active participants in conservation initiatives. 

In Mozambique, where communities reside in and around all protected areas—covering 25% of the country’s territory—community engagement is critical for supporting the implementation of management plans and enhancing benefit-sharing. For this engagement to succeed, communities must be properly identified, organised, and recognised as institutional partners capable of collaboration.

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in Blog / CBNRM / Mozambique
The OCT welcome sign.

How community conservation works in Botswana’s Okavango Delta

Viewed from space, the world-famous Okavango Delta looks like a large pan attached to a handle – the Okavango River. The ‘pan-handle’ area includes villages along the western and eastern banks of the river – those on the west are located near a tar road that connects Namibia with northern Botswana. Those on the east have a dirt road that connects with the west over one river crossing, which until very recently (a bridge built in 2022) involved crossing the Okavango River using a pontoon. 

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in Blog / Botswana / Community Voices / Human Wildlife Conflict
Ten people posing with certificates.

Recognising Madagascar’s Ocean Defenders

Nature conservation is driven by passionate individuals who see the dangers of unsustainable and destructive human activities more clearly than others. When these people are recognised and empowered, their efforts can change local practices and perceptions that create a sustainable future for all.

Natiora Defenders, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in early 2024, champions and showcases the work of conservation leaders and heroes in Madagascar. In May 2024, the first cohort of Ocean Defenders was announced. This cohort, comprising seven men and three women, was named Akio Foty – Great White Shark – for their relentless, fearless defence of the ocean.

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in Blog / Madagascar
Front page of the advert featuring the summary and CLN logo.

We are hiring an Executive Director

The Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa (CLN) is a registered voluntary association, with its Secretariat based in Namibia. It is a regional network of indigenous peoples and local communities that promotes the rights, well-being, and sustainable development of indigenous communities in Southern Africa. 
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in Blog / Job adverts
The CLN logo tops the title page of the media release.

Rural communities in Botswana concerns over anti-hunting laws in the UK

On 22 February 2024, 17 Community Trusts in Botswana along with the Ngamiland Council of NGOs (NCONGO) expressed their deep concern with a campaign advocating for a ban on hunting trophy imports into the United Kingdom (UK) that will negatively affect their livelihoods and wildlife conservation efforts. These Trusts are democratically elected entities speaking on behalf of their respective communities that live alongside elephants and other wildlife species in Botswana.

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in Botswana / In the Media / Press Releases / Rights, Resources & Livelihoods / Trophy Hunting
A woman stands facing the camera amongst her soya crops near Kasungu, Malawi.

Using soybeans to improve livelihoods and promote biodiversity conservation around Kasungu National Park, Malawi.

Communities living around Kasungu National Park in Malawi traditionally grow maize to feed their families and a few other cash crops to generate income. High poverty levels and declining soil fertility have driven some community members into the neighbouring park to clear more land, hunt wildlife or harvest wood illegally to make ends meet. Kasungu Wildlife Conservation and Community Development Association (KAWICCODA) have started a transformative project with support from the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme to help change this situation using soybeans.

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in Blog / Farming / Malawi