Dr Snyman (Senior Programme Officer/BIOPAMA Coordinator IUCN ESARO and also Vice Chair of the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group) went on to demonstrate how these studies gave insight into local economies, the staff of tourist facilities, their dependents, and compared the benefits and costs of living with wildlife.

Some of the enabling factors for finding the value of protected areas were:

• Creating the right institutions and supportive supportive with stable leadership and structures

• Good governance practices and policies

• Holistic approach to tourism policy

• Stakeholder engagement and building trust

• Equitable sharing of benefits (tangible and intangible)

• Improved access and infrastructure

• Commitment to engaging with, and empowering, local communities

• A willingness to adapt, and to use proven examples in other areas

• Willingness to be innovative and adapt partnership and value chain models to required circumstances

Other participants at the event were Moderator Cecilia Njenga, UNEP, and speakers Nick Stone, FS Investors; Shri. Soumitra Dasgupta, IFS, IG Wildlife, India; Brighton Kumchedwa, Director DNPW, Malawi; Sibusiso Bukhosini, CEO, iSimangaliso.

To read more, download the full presentation given at the World Bank Global Wildlife Program annual conference: Investing in the Wildlife Economy for Livelihoods and Conservation, October 29–November 1, 2019, Pretoria, South Africa.