The 8th Community Based Natural Resources Management Annual Conference convened key stakeholders including community leaders, government, policymakers, development partners and academics. The 2024 Conference officially opened by the Minister of Green Economy Honourable Mike Mposha, MP with Key note speeches from Hon Sylvia Masebo Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, MP ,Resident Representative UNDP Mr. James Wakiaga, Community Leaders Network Chairperson Dr Rodgers Lubilo, the ZCRBA President Mr George Tembo and Representative from House of Chief His Royal Highness Chief Kaputa among others .The call for conservation practitioners to address the urgent need for sustainable natural resources management is louder and overwhelming as we foster for management and equitable governance of natural resources.
Community Based Natural Resources Management is the driver for sustainable futures and natural resources stewardship. We recognise the importance of natural resources to livelihoods, our culture, social and economic well-being in our landscapes anchoring on achieving sustainable development, reducing poverty and promoting social and climate justice. As we continue to work towards common goals in natural resources management this year’s conference has the following key notes or resolution;
SECURING NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY:
• The Need to advocate for stronger frameworks that ensure local communities has a significant role in decision-making processes regarding natural resource management. This includes the implementation of legal and institutional reforms that recognize and support community-based governance structures.
• There is need to promote and strengthen mechanisms that integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into community-based natural resource management plans to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of communities and landscapes.
• The call for urgent action to combat deforestation, uncontrolled bush fires, over fishing, poaching, illegal wildlife trade and other anthropogenic /human driven activities to be reduced.
• Embrace Long term strategies that cushion the effects of over exploitation of natural resources such as sand mining, excess timber collection and over harvest of natural resources.
• Building Community resilience to mitigate Human Wildlife Conflict.
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
• Need to foster and improve partnerships and relationships between government agencies, NGOs, private sector players, and local communities’ participation in collaborative management approaches. to create integrated approaches to natural resource management.
• There is need to strengthen mechanisms for regular dialogue between stakeholders, ensuring that all voices, particularly marginalized groups (such as women, different abled persons and youth), are heard and considered in decision-making processes.
• The Need to Support capacity-building programs for local communities, especially in terms of managing and conserving natural resources, through training in sustainable practices and governance structures through partnership support.
• Improve the coordination of government department that are key in CBNRM these are Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Forestry, Fisheries and line ministries to ensure good working relationships and continued support.
• Ensure Bottom-up approach and participatory of key stakeholders on key issues that concern conservation.
RESOURCES MOBILIZATION AND REVENUE GENERATION.
• Call for simple creation of financial mechanisms (e.g., small grants, micro financing, and partnerships) that support community-driven natural resource management initiatives and ensure long-term sustainability.
• Diversify Revenue and Resources Mobilization exploring carbon credits, Fish farming, game ranching, horticulture etc.
• There is need to promote on- going financial management capacities for Community Based Organisations.
STRENGTHENING DATA AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT.
• The need to improve knowledge management strategies through systems that support and facilitate for communities to share feedback on project impacts, partners to share lessons, experiences and best practices.
• Facilitate for exchange visits within a CBOs, landscapes to learn by practice and from other champions of conservation in Zambia.
• Develop and strengthen Community Conservation Education for learners i.e schools.
• Develop Career Mentorships in conservation as a key component of networks to exchange knowledge and best practices for sustainable resource management.
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
• Community Resources Boards should be mandated to manage and access their own accounts independently. The Government roles through DNPW should be to monitor the implementation and its effectiveness.
• Community Resources Boards who are at the same time Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs) should be allowed to open separate accounts for carbon fees.
• Concession Fees Sharing Mechanism (SI) Statutory Instrument should be Enacted in order to allow communities to benefit from concession fees as well as photographic and lands.
• To advocate for communities to get more shares on carbon benefits than carbon private investors.
ADVOCATE FOR POLICY AND LEGISLATION
• There is need to encourage policies that action sustainable land-use practices, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods for communities dependent on natural resources.
• The call for government to adopt a community conservancy model as one key wildlife economic activities which communities can fully be engaged in and replicated in various landscapes.
• Lobby for sustainable financing through creation of a national funding basket for CBNRM
• Support and mobilise resources for implementation of CBNRM policy
• Lobby for a national framework on modalities for community carbon initiatives
• Call for enactment of CBNRM law to support implementation of national CBNRM policy
• To lobby for the CBNRM Policy to be housed at Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
• Lobby for recognition and establishment of community conservancies across the country.
GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
• Ensuring that there is inclusivity at all levels in the implementation of the policies in CBNRM fraternity for improved social justice and inclusion.
• There is need to continue strengthening efforts to ensure gender equality in natural resource management by empowering women and other underrepresented groups to take leadership roles in community governance structures
MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL)
• Take part in the implementation of the CBNRM Policy to ensure that communities benefit from the policy and understand their role as key partners in conservation.
• Promote the development of robust monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the effectiveness of community-based resource management programs.
• Need to promote for the use of indigenous knowledge and practices alongside modern conservation techniques to manage natural resources sustainably.