Countering Wildlife Crime in Southern Africa .

Environment and Natural Resources

Africa

Southern Africa Countering Wildlife Crime (CWC) Activity

Project Dates: 9/20/2024 - 9/19/2029

The CWC Activity reduces threats to and protects biodiversity from wildlife crimes in southern Africa.

Wildlife crime ranks as the fourth most lucrative transnational organized crime globally, and southern Africa’s rich biodiversity makes it a prime target. This illicit activity not only threatens the region’s unique wildlife but also destabilizes governance, hampers socio-economic progress, jeopardizes security, and undermines conservation efforts. Over the past eight years, USAID/Southern Africa has made significant strides in combating wildlife crime. However, to effectively tackle this issue, there is an urgent need to enhance national and regional capacities, foster better coordination, and strengthen the collective commitment to protect southern Africa’s natural heritage.

Project Goals

Funded by USAID/Southern Africa, the CWC Activity works alongside consortium partners and local organizations to counter wildlife crime through four key objectives:

improve coordination, collaboration, learning and sharing among stakeholders;
strengthen criminal justice sector capacity;
reduce and build resilience to corruption; and
increase community support and participation to counter wildlife crime.

Based out of Pretoria, South Africa, the Activity includes all 11 USAID-supported countries in southern Africa, namely: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Activity aims to address wildlife crime through a localized collective action approach, placing diverse local stakeholders in the driver’s seat to implement adaptable, equitable solutions that emphasize and advance regional priorities.