IMELDA AMBONDO
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources has highlighted the critical role played by conservancies in protecting wildlife, creating jobs, and sustaining rural livelihoods.
The report done from 11 to 15 August 2025 said that the future of the country’s conservancies depend on stronger support, better governance, and diversified income streams.
According to the committee, conservancies remain central to community development, offering employment, social services, and a platform for local empowerment.
“The Community-Based Natural Resource Management programme is vital for ecological health by protecting biodiversity and natural habitats, while also empowering local communities through job creation, income generation from tourism and resource management, and support for traditional lifestyles,” the report said
The report noted that despite progress, conservancies continue to face major challenges.
These include weak management, human–wildlife conflict, and an overdependence on trophy hunting, which limits income.
“Too much reliance on trophy hunting has limited the income generated,” the committee said.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the committee highlighted the need for innovation. This includes exploring new economic activities, stronger governance, and modernising how conservancies are run.
The report said that conservancies must adapt to a fast-changing economic environment, calling for “new ways to benefit from natural resources, including sustainable co-existence with other economic sectors such as mining, growing of new forests and the need to grow plants such as the devil’s claw. The committee also highlighted that some companies abroad are already cloning the devil’s claw.
Despite the challenges, the committee reaffirmed the transformative potential of conservancies, stating that they “possess the ability to foster self-reliance, enhance social cohesion, and drive economic growth by enabling members to take control of decisions affecting their lives.”
The report makes several recommendations aimed at strengthening conservancies and securing long-term benefits for communities.
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