Key Messages
The success of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) like the GLTFCA depends on addressing deep-rooted socio-economic and institutional challenges that drive communities toward unsustainable and illicit resource use. Low education levels, weak governance, limited livelihood options, and human-wildlife conflict continue to undermine conservation and development objectives, particularly for vulnerable and female-headed households.
Conservation and development must be pursued jointly. Strengthening rural education, expanding non-farm employment opportunities, and empowering local institutions are vital for reducing dependence on illegal extraction. Investments in community-based organizations, gender-responsive livelihood programs, and mechanisms to manage human-wildlife conflict can enhance both social equity and ecological sustainability.
A shift toward inclusive, livelihood-oriented, and gender-sensitive conservation policies is essential to transform TFCAs into engines of resilience, poverty reduction, and sustainable biodiversity management.
