I read an article on "The community based natural ressource management experience in Zimbabwe". This article was very interesting and i tried to search more information about "CAMPFIRE". CAMPFIRE is a community based management programme which seeks to demonstrate that wildlife is a viable and alternative land use option in ecologically marginal communal lands. It is a national initiative which attempts to put the management of wildlife in the hands of the communities who live, and thus pay the price for living, in proximity to it. Campfire seeks to direct the income from wildlife to local communities and households, to ensure that local people derive maximum benefit from the land that they occupy which has suitable habitat for wildlife as well as for livestock and to a lesser extent, agriculture.
I think it is a very good idea and so i tried to find out, how they can provide extra income to the local communities.
Five main activities help provide extra income to local communities:
Trophy hunting: About 90% of CAMPFIRE's income comes from selling hunting concessions to professional hunters and safari operators working to set government quotas. Individual hunters pay high fees to shoot elephant (US$12,000) and buffalo and are strictly monitored, accompanied by local, licensed professionals. Trophy hunting is considered to be the ultimate form of ecotourism, as hunters usually travel in small groups, demand few amenities, cause minimal damage to the local ecosystem, yet provide considerable income.
Selling live animals: this is a fairly recent development. Some areas with high wildlife populations sell live animals to National Parks or game reserves e.g. Guruve district raised US$ 50,000 by selling 10 roan antelope.
Harvesting natural resources: a number of natural resources e.g. crocodile eggs, caterpillars, river-sand and timber are harvested and sold by local communities. Skins and ivory can be sold from 'problem animals' (individual animals who persistently cause damage or threat and can legally be killed).
Tourism: in the past most revenue from tourists has not gone to local communities. During the 1990's pilot projects have been set up and 5 districts now benefit from tourism. Development of specialist areas e.g. culture tourism, bird watching and visits to hot springs are planned. Some local people are employed directly as guides or run local facilities for tourists.
Selling wildlife meat: where species are plentiful e.g. impala, the National Parks Department supervise killing and selling of skins and meat. However, this only raises fairly small sums of money.
So, whats about the money? The income is collected and distributed by District Councils, using guidelines produced by CAMPFIRE. They suggest that:
80% of the money is given directly to local communities who should collectively decide how it should be spent
20% is used by the District Councils for administration and managing the local CAMPFIRE projects
Some examples of CAMPFIRE projects:
Binga District (N.W.Zimbabwe) had just 13 primary schools in 1980 with most of its people living in poverty. Money from hunting concessions, fishing and tourism was used by Sinkatenge village (near Matusadona National Park) to build a 12km length of electric fencing to enclose their fields, preventing animals from trampling their crops and providing full time work for two local people to maintain it. Today the District has 56 primary and 9 secondary schools, health clinics and wells as a result of income from CAMPFIRE projects.
I think the best way is to help people. To open up ways to help themselves.
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