Congressional Staff Briefing: Living in a Finite Environment (1/3) Chris Weaver

10-12-2007

Chris Weaver, director, WWF L.I.F.E. Program

Partner: World Wildlife Fund

Chris Weaver, director of the L.I.F.E. program in Namibia, joined us to explain how conservation efforts in Namibia have improved not just animals' survival chances, but also had a dramatic positive impact on the local economy.

Administered by WWF on behalf of the Namibian government and with funding from USAID, the L.I.F.E. program helps villages in northwestern Namibia organize conservancies to sustainably manage their resources. Close to 200,000 Namibian people now participate and benefit from these conservancies, which now comprise almost 13% of the total land mass of Namibia. These conservancies not only preserve large areas of high-quality habitat for Namibia's internationally significant populations of elephant, rhino, sable and roan antelope, but provide wildlife-generated income to the communities from eco-tourism and regulated sport hunting.

Chris Weaver, director of the L.I.F.E. program, conducted the briefing and detailed L.I.F.E.'s impressive conservation and economic results at Namibia's national and regional levels. Most importantly he showed how careful attention to conservation and the equitable use of natural resources plays in the development of a sound and just economy

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Nonprofits & Activism

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