GLOBES Science Policy Lecture Series
Engaging Communities in Tackling the Illegal Wildlife Trade – Opportunities and Challenges?
Dr. Dilys Roe
Principal Researcher
Natural Resources and Biodiversity Research Group
International Institute for Environment and Development
Abstract: At numerous international policy forums, governments from a wide range of countries have made commitments to supporting community engagement as part of their efforts to tackling international illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Despite this, the major focus of anti-IWT strategies to date has been, and remains, on law enforcement. One problem is that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to community engagement and a limited evidence base on effective approaches. In this talk I will discuss the rationale for community engagement, the commitments that have been made, and the progress that has been made against those commitments. I will then present some initiatives that I have been involved in to enhance community engagement and some of the lessons learned from those efforts. Finally I will present some of the lessons identified in the 100+ case studies we have collected on the “PeopleNotPoaching” web portal and some perspectives from community representatives themselves, on how best to tackle IWT and the support they need to do so.