For many large carnivores, minimizing the economic burden they impose on local communities is crucial for their conservation. Incentive-based programs that provide local people with economic benefits for taking conservation-friendly actions or achieving conservation goals are therefore increasingly highlighted as a promising tool for promoting coexistence between humans and large carnivores.
“If local communities experience carnivores as a net loss, it becomes very difficult to sustain conservation efforts in the long run,” says Göran Bostedt, a researcher at CERE and one of the authors of the study.
Although the number of incentive-based programs aimed at conserving large carnivores is growing, there has been relatively little published research on how such programs actually function. In this study, the researchers examined the design, implementation, and outcomes of a new performance-based conservation payment program for lion conservation—Conservation Incentive Payments (CIP)—that was piloted in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) in Tanzania.
The program was developed in close collaboration with local stakeholders and provided villages with direct financial payments based on the number of lions observed on their land each month. During the program’s three-year pilot phase, villages earned more than twice the value of the livestock that was injured or killed by lions. The revenues were primarily used to support education-related projects.
“This shows that it is possible to transform a carnivore from being seen as a problem into becoming a resource for local communities,” says Göran Bostedt.
A household survey conducted at the end of the pilot project also revealed widespread awareness of and strong support for the CIP program among local residents. According to the researchers, the experience offers valuable lessons for the development of similar incentive-based conservation programs in Tanzania and elsewhere.
The study highlights the importance of developing a practical and flexible compensation framework, continuously evaluating and adaptively managing program communication, supporting participating stakeholders in the effective use of CIP revenues, and identifying potential sources of long-term sustainable financing.
“Incentives can work very well, but they need to be well designed and firmly grounded at the local level to have lasting impact,” Göran Bostedt concludes.
The study can be found here
