African Wildlife Economy Institute

African Wildlife Economy Institute
Name	African Wildlife Economy Institute
Type	Research institute
Founded	2018
Headquarters	Nairobi, Kenya
Region served	Africa
Focus	Wildlife conservation, sustainable development, biodiversity finance

African Wildlife Economy Institute

The African Wildlife Economy Institute is a Nairobi-based research and policy centre focused on wildlife conservation, biodiversity finance, and sustainable livelihoods across Africa. It engages with regional bodies such as the African Union, national agencies like the Kenya Wildlife Service, international organizations including the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank, and civil society actors such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund. The Institute publishes policy briefs, conducts field trials with partners like the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the South African National Biodiversity Institute, and provides training for practitioners linked to initiatives such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the CITES process.

Overview

The Institute operates at the intersection of conservation science and market-based mechanisms, promoting instruments used by actors such as the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its portfolio includes applied research on tourism models from Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, payment for ecosystem services schemes modeled after pilots in Rwanda and Uganda, and community-based natural resource management approaches comparable to programs in Namibia and Botswana. The Institute collaborates with universities such as the University of Nairobi, Makerere University, University of Cape Town, and University of Pretoria to translate academic work into policy for fora including the African Development Bank and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

History and Establishment

Founded in 2018 by conservation economists, policy analysts, and former officials from agencies like the Ministry of Tourism (Kenya), the Institute drew on expertise from think tanks such as the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Center for International Forestry Research. Early sponsors included philanthropic organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and bilateral donors like the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office through programs coordinated with USAID and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Key founding projects involved collaborative fieldwork with protected-area authorities managing landscapes in Maasai Mara, the Kafue National Park, and the Virunga National Park corridors, linking to donor-driven conservation finance pilots by the European Investment Bank.

Research and Programs

Research themes cover wildlife-based value chains applied to species such as the African elephant, black rhinoceros, lion, and migratory birds tracked with technology from partners like NASA-funded programs and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Programs include biodiversity credits modeled after pilots in Gabon and carbon sequestration projects akin to initiatives in the Congo Basin. The Institute runs monitoring initiatives employing tools developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Zoological Society of London, and tech partners that include the World Resources Institute and private firms operating in the Kenyan Silicon Savannah. It also evaluates legal frameworks like national wildlife acts in countries including South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique for effectiveness in enabling market-based conservation.

Education and Training

Training offerings comprise short courses delivered with university partners such as Stellenbosch University, Addis Ababa University, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, and vocational programs in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation and the Kenya School of Monetary Studies for public finance officers. Curriculum topics mirror modules used by international schools tied to the Open University and professional accreditation bodies like the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management adapted to African contexts including community engagement methodologies used in Zambia and anti-poaching techniques informed by lessons from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Fellowships attract mid-career professionals seconded from ministries, multilateral banks, and NGOs such as Conservation International.

Partnerships and Funding

The Institute secures multilateral grants from the United Nations Development Programme and procurement partnerships with regional entities including the East African Community. Private sector collaborations involve hotel chains operating in Mombasa and investment vehicles managed by the African Development Bank's concessional windows. Philanthropic funders historically active with the Institute include the Bloomberg Philanthropies model of urban conservation donors and family foundations linked to conservationists like those supporting the African Wildlife Foundation. Research contracts are sometimes co-funded by the Wellcome Trust and corporate social responsibility arms of companies listed on exchanges such as the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Impact and Criticism

Impacts cited by partners include policy changes in wildlife revenue-sharing frameworks adopted in pilot districts in Kenya and Tanzania, new financing instruments introduced to the African Union Commission, and capacity gains among provincial wildlife departments reminiscent of reforms in Namibia. Critics associated with academics from institutions like the London School of Economics and NGOs such as Friends of the Earth argue the Institute at times overemphasizes market mechanisms visible in debates at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and underweights traditional custodianship practices documented among Maasai and San communities. Controversies have arisen around projects judged by commentators in The Guardian and analysts at the Overseas Development Institute to prioritize tourism revenue streams, prompting calls for stronger safeguards associated with Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989-style standards and compliance with instruments discussed at the World Trade Organization and UN Human Rights Council.

Category:Conservation organizations based in Kenya