This past week, government ministers, policy leaders and conservationists convened in Nairobi for the inaugural Africa Climate Summit 2023.
It was an historic moment and an opportunity to show African nations, her people and landscapes have many of the solutions the world needs to address the climate crisis.
With its precious biodiversity, expansive natural capital, and massive wild animal populations, Africa represents a vital natural safety net for the planet.
Our tragedy, however, is this crucial resource is rarely accorded due recognition globally as a steadying force against climate change, and that worse, Africa's semi-arid lands, immensely rich in biodiversity and home to millions of people, suffer greatly from severe droughts and flooding.
Climate extremes are battering these landscapes leading to massive die-offs of livestock and wildlife as witnessed in recent years across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The increased vulnerability of local communities to extreme climate impacts is pushing them into heavy reliance on natural resources for survival, leading to over-exploitation of habitats and wildlife, which aggravates climate calamities such as floods.
We should therefore advocate strongly for protection of Africa's biodiversity as a vital resource in mitigating the impact of climate change. Interestingly, after the summit, African traditional leaders representing local communities will convene in Amboseli to discuss the strengthening of transboundary ecosystem connectivity across the continent.
One connected landscape where nature literally has enough 'room to roam'; where nature is welcome and not diverted, and where African landscapes are shared unbound; where the local community, those who have lived alongside wildlife in some cases for millennia, are entrusted with the stewardship of their rich biodiverse heritage. In essence, community-driven conservation for a global community.
Those who live alongside wildlife are most often the ones that understand it best. Ancestral leaders and indigenous communities have linkages to their land and wildlife. As we forge a new path for conservation, we must actively support indigenous communities and ancestral leaders as true custodians of nature and agents of change.
Working directly with local leaders will co-create solutions of long-lasting impact for conservation and it is essential that these local voices be amplified within the spectrum of decision-making. The roundtable gathering of community leaders will serve as a focal point for listening as much as it will for discussion. Leaders will share their opinions, perspectives, and most importantly, their local knowledge.
A topic of discussion will be a revolutionary IFAW programme named Room to Roam, based on a conservation approach in Africa where 'elephants lead the way'.
The concept ensures connectivity of transnational corridors for elephants and wildlife that not only strengthens biodiversity at the local level but also enhances creation of climate-resilient ecosystems.
The writer is President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare
