Partnership against Wildlife Crime in Africa and Asia

Context

Wildlife crime not only threatens wildlife populations and their habitats but also jeopardises the economic basis and security of the affected countries. Ivory, rhinoceros horn and pangolin scales are among the most trafficked wildlife products worldwide, originating mainly from African countries. The greatest demand for them is in Asian countries, where certain wildlife products are considered a status symbol or used in traditional medicine.

Well-organised criminal networks, high profit margins and often weak governance provide a breeding ground for corruption along the entire illegal trade chain. Despite the major challenges, there have also been some initial regional successes in recent years. Nevertheless, overall efforts are not yet sufficient to successfully curb transnationally organised wildlife crime.

Objective

Key actors make broader use of proven approaches to curb transnationally organised wildlife crime.

Approach

The causes of wildlife crime and approaches to tackling it are complex and require measures that cross borders, regions and sectors. The project focuses on four areas of action:

Strengthening key anti-poaching actors in transboundary protected areas and taking account of the crucial role of local communities.

Improving cross-border cooperation in the investigation of transnationally organised wildlife crime.

Reducing demand by analysing typical consumption patterns and conducting targeted group-specific campaigns.

Improving national and international dialogue and preparing and disseminating lessons learned.

The partnership works with the relevant federal ministries and their downstream agencies. The project is jointly implemented in the partner countries with governmental and non-governmental implementation partners and with other German development cooperation projects.