People and Parks, in Partnership
Zimbabwe’s CAMPFRIRE (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) is one of Africa’s oldest and most studied community conservation programs. It allows rural villages to manage wildlife and earn direct revenue from tourism and legal game management.
Sharing the Benefits
Through hunting licenses, lodge partnerships, and wildlife safaris, communities around protected areas like Hwange and Gonarezhou receive payments used to build schools, health clinics, and roads.
Some villages earn tens of thousands of dollars annually from elephants and buffalo viewed or hunted on their land.
Local Governance Matters
CAMPFIRE is run by elected community resource boards, ensuring transparency and local accountability. The funds are managed locally, with community input on how to allocate revenue.
Reducing Conflict
Villagers now see wildlife as an asset, not a threat. Poaching has decreased in many CAMPFIRE zones, and tolerance for elephant crop damage has increased due to revenue-sharing.
A Global Model
Despite challenges, CAMPFIRE remains a template for decentralized conservation where communities benefit, wildlife thrives, and ecosystems are protected through local leadership.
