In celebration of this year’s Earth Day, we sat down with World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Chris Weaver over Skype to discuss the links between secure land and resource rights and WWF’s conservation work in Namibia. Mr. Weaver has been the director of WWF’s Namibia program since 1993, providing guidance and assistance to Namibian partner organizations in the development of one of the world’s most highly regarded community conservation programs. During the discussion, Mr. Weaver shared four key ingredients to achieve positive conservation outcomes:
- Devolution of rights to and responsibilities for natural resources to local communities
- Recognition of the need for diverse expertise and partnering with civil society to expand capacity
- Creating awareness within the community of the value of the natural resources and sustainable management
- Creating the systems and tools to support conservation that go beyond project-by-project activities
Disclaimer: The speaker’s views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.