PPPs must help advance conservation, development in Africa

EUGENE Mutangana is a conservation management expert with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the department in charge of that country’s incredible parks and wildlife. Prior, he was the chief park warden of Akagera National Park, in the eastern part of the country.

A staunch conservationist, Mutangana recalls rampant cattle encroachment, fires, and poaching — and the resultant dramatic decline in wildlife. Without an adequate budget, team, and capacity, park staff could not overcome these threats.

Convinced of the value of Akagera National Park to the country, the Rwandan government made the decision to partner with the NGO African Parks to manage it under a collaborative management partnership (CMP) in 2010.

In time, park operations became more effective and wildlife — such as rhinos and lions — recovered. As a result of the enhanced management, ecological rebound, and the long-term perspective of the CMP agreement, leading tourism investors like Wilderness Safaris and Mantis developed world-class facilities in Akagera.

By 2020, the park generated more than US$2,5 million annually from nature-based tourism and employed 273 people (99% Rwandan). The partnership between RDB and African Parks helped convert a nonoperational conservation area into an engine for the local and national economy — securing livelihoods, protecting globally significant wildlife, and preserving critical ecosystems.

A CMP is a contractual arrangement between a protected area (PA) authority (government, private, or community) and a partner (private or non-governmental organisation) to collaboratively manage a PA. Through this public-private partnership (PPP), the PA authority devolves certain management responsibilities — and in most cases funding obligations — to the partner. The duration of the contract varies and depends on the goals of the PA authority.

Not all CMPs are the same.

There are three different kinds: (i) financial and technical support, where the PA authority retains governance control and the partner provides support; (ii) co-management, which includes bilateral, where the State and partner agree to collaborate under a management agreement working side-by-side with the PA, and integrated, where the State and partner collaboratively manage through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) with equal representation on the board; and (iii) delegated, similar to integrated but more rights are devolved to the partner and the majority of the board is appointed by them. These models are described in the CMP Toolkit.

Like Rwanda, 14 other countries in Africa have entered into co-management and delegated CMPs, covering more than 11 percent of Africa’s PA range.

Even though the value of biodiversity and the role PAs play in securing the world’s natural capital and ecosystem services and mitigating the impacts of climate change are widely recognised, there is a massive funding gap for ensuring protected areas are adequately managed. For example, researchers found that in Africa, US$1,5 billion is needed annually to effectively manage PAs with lions. This funding gap and other factors have led to the underperformance of many PAs—putting species, ecosystems, and inclusive development at risk.

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