More than 100,000 people live within five kilometres of Nkhotakota’s boundaries, making it imperative that Nkhotakota plays a meaningful role for them, and the region, that they can access the Reserve, and receive benefits from the Reserve’s existence.
Fencing the Reserve
© Daniel NelsonGiven the need to secure the area and prevent human-wildlife conflict, fencing was a top priority when African Parks assumed management in 2015. In order to prevent conflict with local communities over the fence line, stakeholder meetings were held with local Chiefs, to provide them with information on the fence route, why it was being implemented, how it would be used and the benefits of having the fence in place. As the fence continued to provide protection for communities, they began to welcome the fence boundary. This, combined with improvements to local resources such as boreholes, created a relatively positive community environment, and it is hoped that this will continue.
Firearm Amnesty Programme
The reserve’s firearms amnesty programme has seen encouraging results, with firearms being handed over by local people to Nkhotakota’s Community Extension and Law Enforcement Teams in exchange for a small monetary incentive. Communities, from the western and northern sections of the reserve also collaborated with our rangers to help collect snares and bury pitfall traps.
Education
© Thoko Chikondi Educational opportunities around Nkhotakota are critical in terms of helping communities realise value of the reserve. Shortly after African Parks assumed management of the reserve in 2015, a scholarship programme was initiated to pay the school fees for orphaned and vulnerable students to support them in continuing their secondary school education.
In 2021, 60 students were enrolled in the scholarship programme, bringing the total number of scholarships to 215, and 400 students visited the reserve on environmental education outings. An estimated 100,000 indigenous trees were planted through school wildlife clubs. In addition, thousands of students are benefitting from educational support and outreach, while a growing number are receiving environmental education through wildlife clubs and park visits.
Community Radio Programme
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve introduced a community radio programme on the Nkhotakota District Community Radio to engage local communities about the reserve, wildlife, wildlife crime, human-wildlife conflict, the boundary, and other topics. This provided an important platform to communicate messages about the value of conserving wildlife and the related benefits for communities.
Resource Use Programme
© Thoko Chikondi Our resource use programme ensures that the community members living on the reserve’s boundary benefit from its existence by granting them rights to harvest certain plant species within the protected area.
The Resource Use Programme (RUP) continued to benefit neighbouring communities in 2021, allowing them to harvest park resources without compromising the ecological integrity of the park. Among them are palm fronds, thatch grass, bamboo, reeds, wild fruits, and vegetables.We also organised meetings with 12 Chiefs to refine and agree on bylaws that will govern the management of natural resources in areas bordering the Reserve.