AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION INC

NATIONAL AND LANDSCAPE LEVEL CONSERVATION PROGRAMSIN KENYA, WORK FOCUSED ON RANGELAND RESTORATION AND COEXISTENCE. WATER SECURITY REMAINED CENTRAL IN THE TSAVOMKOMAZI LANDSCAPE WHERE AWF WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES TO RESTORE CATCHMENTS AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO FRESHWATER FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE, WHILE ALSO LAUNCHING AN AMBITIOUS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WILDLIFE CLUBS OF KENYA TO ENGAGE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN CONSERVATION. ADDITIONALLY, AWF SUPPORTED THE GOVERNMENT OF KAJIADO COUNTY WITH A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS INVESTMENT STRATEGY TIED TO LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK. IN RWANDA, THE GOVERNMENT'S VISION OF REGIONAL GREEN GROWTH TIED TO INCREASED HABITAT FOR GORILLAS ADVANCED SIGNIFICANTLY, WITH A COMMUNITY-ENDORSED COMPENSATION AND LAND VALUATION FRAMEWORK APPROVED THROUGH RIGOROUS FPIC PROCESSES ESTABLISHED BY AWF. AWF ALSO INVESTED IN WOMEN-LED AGRICULTURE, NATURE-BASED ENTERPRISES, AND EARLY PLANNING FOR SMART GREEN VILLAGES. IN CAMEROON, AWF STRENGTHENED GOVERNANCE IN THE CAMPO MA'AN LANDSCAPE THROUGH ENHANCED COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, A GRIEVANCE REDRESS SYSTEM, UPDATED PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLANNING, AND ECOLOGICAL MONITORING OF ELEPHANTS, GORILLAS, CHIMPANZEES, AND OTHER ICONIC SPECIES. PARALLEL LIVELIHOOD INVESTMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE COCOA, RUBBER, AND PLANTAIN FARMING HELPED REDUCE LOCAL RELIANCE ON FOREST EXTRACTION. IN THE DJA LANDSCAPE, AWF ENHANCED PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT OF THE DJA FAUNAL RESERVE, REINFORCED ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS, AND ENGAGED LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH RIGHTS-BASED TRAINING. SIMULTANEOUSLY, AWF PROMOTED ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS, LIKE FISH FARMING, TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY AND ENSURE COMMUNITY COOPERATION IN MAINTAINING THE RESERVE'S INTEGRITY. IN FARO LANDSCAPE, AWF STRENGTHENED MANAGEMENT AND ANTI-POACHING OPERATIONS IN FARO NATIONAL PARK. CONFLICT BETWEEN LOCAL RESIDENTS AND HERDERS WAS REDUCED VIA THE TANGO INITIATIVE, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES WERE ENGAGED IN SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE, INCLUDING TRAINING INDIGENOUS MBORORO COMMUNITIES IN PLANT NURSERY MANAGEMENT AND PROVIDING EQUIPMENT FOR CROP PROCESSING AND RICE FARMING. IN DRC, AWF STRENGTHENED CONSERVATION OUTCOMES ACROSS TWO CRITICAL CONGO BASIN LANDSCAPES BILI-UL AND MARINGA-LOPORI-WAMBA ADVANCING PROTECTION, COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE, AND LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE. IN BILI-UL, AWF'S CO-MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL WILDLIFE AUTHORITY, THE INSTITUT CONGOLAIS POR LA CONSERVATION DE LA NATURE (ICCN) ENHANCED SECURITY ACROSS A CORE ZONE OF THE PROTECTED AREA THROUGH INTENSIFIED PATROLS AND STRENGTHENED OPERATIONAL BASES. LAW-ENFORCEMENT OUTCOMES IMPROVED AND ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRESSED WITH CAMERA TRAPS AND A NEW RESEARCH CAMP. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RIGHTS-BASED APPROACHES WERE REINFORCED THROUGH ACTIVE COMPLAINT-MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS, TRAINING FOR ECOGUARDS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES BENEFITING NEARLY 36,000 PEOPLE. IN THE MARINGA-LOPORI-WAMBA LANDSCAPE, AWF ADVANCED INTEGRATED CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LOMAKO-YOKOKALA AND IYONDJI COMMUNITY BONOBO RESERVES. THE RENOVATED PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ILIMA EMERGED AS CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, COMPLEMENTING ONGOING RIGHTS-BASED AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND GOVERNANCE TRAINING FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES. AWF ADVANCED OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTERS. AWF CONTINUED TO COLLABORATE WITH WILDLIFE AUTHORITIES ON MONITORING AND ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS. IN ETHIOPIA, DESPITE DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY REGIONAL INSECURITY, AWF CONTINUED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE ETHIOPIAN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (EWCA), SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WALIA IBEX NATIONAL STRATEGY AND ACTION RECOVERY PLAN, AND STRENGTHENING EWCA'S INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR IMPROVED COORDINATION AND DATA-DRIVEN MANAGEMENT. THE COUNTER WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING PROGRAM PROVIDED ONGOING SUPPORT TO CANINE UNITS AT BOLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ASSISTED THE JUDICIARY IN WILDLIFE CRIME PROSECUTION. WORK IN SIMIEN MOUNTAINS INCLUDED SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL, A WILDLIFE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM TARGETED TO LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND ONGOING EFFORTS FOCUSED ON FOREST REGENERATION, LAND REHABILITATION, AND SOIL EROSION CONTROL. IN TANZANIA, AWF PARTICIPATED IN NATIONAL POLICY DIALOGUES. IN THE KILOMBERO LANDSCAPE, AWF PARTNERED WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ADVANCE COMMUNITY LAND-USE PLANNING AND DEVELOP SHARED NATURAL RESOURCE AGREEMENTS. AWF ALSO SUPPORTED COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP THROUGH LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEES, EXPANDING A NETWORK OF CONSERVATION CHAMPIONS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, AND SUPPORTING CONSERVATION ENTERPRISES AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. IN UGANDA, AWF'S COUNTER WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING PROGRAM SUPPORTED AUTHORITIES IN CONDUCTING NEARLY ONE MILLION SEARCHES FOR ILLEGAL WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE PRODUCTS AT KEY TRAFFICKING POINTS. OTHER EFFORTS STRENGTHENED COEXISTENCE AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ACROSS KIDEPO AND MURCHISON FALLS LANDSCAPES. PREPARATIONS FOR RHINO REINTRODUCTION AT AJAI WILDLIFE RESERVE ADVANCED THROUGH IMPROVED RANGER CAPACITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IN ZIMBABWE, AWF CONCLUDED A CO-MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ZIMPARKS FOR MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK IN THE MID-ZAMBEZI LAN