In search of some of Africa's most fragile places and people in the name of Big Beyond

By the way, I’m in search of protected areas (for now I’m looking at national parks) that are challenged in terms of bio-diversity conservation and where associated communities are in need of development. I’m starting in some of the least developed countries of the world, but those that are incredibly beautiful yet enormously fragile; Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda.  


Malawi... 

 Uganda...

 Ethiopia...

The basic concept is that on the one hand, for nature to survive well into the future and national parks to be a sustainable solution to conservation, the livelihoods of bordering communities need to be improved, poverty tackled from the grass roots and local people truly involved; then we have the chance to reduce pressure from subsistence and income related poaching, encroachment and overuse of various resources. It’s long term and innovative socioeconomic investment in these communities that conservation needs. 

On the other hand, land taken up by many protected areas and now owned and managed by governments was often land previously owned and given up by these now ‘bordering’ densely populated rural communities (sometimes by forced re-location of their homes when these parks were created) and it’s time for them to one, start benefitting, and two, stop suffering from crop-raiding by the protected animals and other related impacts of conservation to allow a better future for the people too. Conservation efforts can, if managed well, synchronise new opportunities for people in these remote rural communities of developing countries.  

The problem is, governments (particularly in developing countries) are hugely limited in capacity to be able to create this balance. And, while tourism has become one of the key engines with serious potential to help form these links, there’s certainly a long way to go, a lot of work to be done and it doesn’t tend to happen organically. 

So for now, I’m on the road in search of a protected area in southern Ethiopia where Big Beyond will be welcomed with open arms to support conservation and development initiatives. It’s also essential that the location I find is somewhere I’d be genuinely excited about inspiring my volunteers to travel to and where opportunities for volunteer placements are authentic, exciting and rewarding to all involved. I’m particularly in search of deserving community run organisations that really need a leg up in terms of human resources and have true motivation to tackle relevant local issues around education, enterprise or conservation.   

The journey continues…