Africa

DOI-ITAP's work in Africa has included protected area management, tourism development, natural resource conservation program development, rural community engagement in natural resources conservation, land cover mapping, and groundwater resource monitoring. A major focal area is wildlife trafficking, which threatens the security, economy, and biodiversity of East Africa.

To protect the region’s wildlife in line with the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, DOI-ITAP and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional East Africa Mission established the Partnership to End Wildlife Trafficking in East Africa.

In this region, DOI-ITAP technical assistance, at both regional and national levels, helps to strengthen:

• Counter wildlife trafficking and CITES;
• Protected area management;
• Public/private partnerships;
• Community engagement, information sharing, and public awareness;
• Wildlife law enforcement, investigation, and forensics; and
• Transboundary natural resource management.

DOI-ITAP works in the light green countries and has worked in the dark green countries.

AFRICA RECENT PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:

Co-Creating Social Safeguards in Southern Africa

DOI-ITAP is collaborating with two non-governmental organization partners in Southern Africa to co-create guidance materials. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa will use these guidelines to implement social safeguards when partnering with Indigenous Peoples and local communities on community-based natural resource management.

Social safeguards are the policies and processes that help protect people during development projects. These safeguards are particularly important for upholding the rights of minorities and Indigenous Peoples.

USAID Southern Africa is supporting this project.

Building Capacity for Ecological Data Analysis in Zambia

From 2023 to 2024, DOI-ITAP supported improved wildlife data analysis in Zambia's protected areas through a series of trainings for government ecologists. With a non-governmental organization partner, training focused on open source mapping, data analysis, and animal density software use. DOI-ITAP also facilitated trainings on statistical methods to analyze the density of species and how it changes over time, and adaptive management of natural resources.

Together, these trainings enable Zambian ecologists to better analyze and report data and establish new wildlife monitoring programs.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Zambia supported this project.

Strengthening Law Enforcement Data Management in Zambia

From 2022 to 2024, DOI-ITAP and a non-governmental organization partner helped increase the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement operations in Zambian protected areas through a new National Command Center. 

The Center centralizes country-wide data from both the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and EarthRanger platforms, improving communication between field staff and headquarters.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Zambia supported this project.

Promoting Equitable Tourism Opportunities in Kenya

DOI-ITAP oversaw two assessments to explore whether online tourism platforms could create equitable tourism opportunities for local communities in the Kenyan Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem, particularly women and youth.

The Kenyan Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem is a renowned tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors to its unparalleled biodiversity and cultural richness. DOI-ITAP's assessments aimed to explore ways that the benefits of this tourism could be more evenly shared.

The assessment was successful in determining that while communities were enthusiastic, significant barriers remain to the effective use of online tourism platforms in the region.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya and East Africa supported this project.

PREVIOUS PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:

 Western Indian Ocean Marine Biodiversity Assessments (Regional)

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is home to over 2,200 marine species, making it one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world.  

DOI-ITAP helped to protect marine biodiversity in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) through a research partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society. This research partnership identified the region’s “biodiversity hotspots” and improved coordination between WIO policymakers. 

Check out this YouTube video to learn more about the project.

Engaging Youth Entrepreneurs to Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution (Kenya)

DOI-ITAP helped to protect Kenya’s delicate, coastal ecosystems through the Mombasa Plastics Prize – a competition inspiring young innovators from Mombasa to take action to reduce and prevent harmful marine plastic pollution.

In collaboration with implementing partner Challenge Works, DOI-ITAP provided 60 youth participants with professional skills training and organized several in-person events focused on helping them design creative plastic waste solutions. After several months of testing and development, the teams pitched their solutions to the panel of local experts.  

Thanks to support from USAID Kenya and East Africa, the top three entrepreneurial teams received up to $30,000.00 in seed funding to help bring their ideas to life.

For more information, check out the USAID Mombasa Plastics Prize factsheet: Mombasa Plastics Prize Factsheet.

Learn more about phase two of the program, the Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator, here: Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator Factsheet.

Promoting Energy Security in Africa (Kenya)

DOI-ITAP advanced African energy security by installing 600 biogas digester cookstoves across 20 community conservancies in northern Kenya. 

The biogas digesters, installed by DOI-ITAP partner Northern Rangelands Trust, turned animal waste, invasive vegetative matter, and other affordable biofuels into energy, improving air quality for local communities.  

This is especially important for women and girls who are typically responsible for collecting firewood and cooking in poorly ventilated spaces. 

DOI-ITAP supported Kenya’s energy security in partnership with USAID Kenya and East Africa. For more information, check out our project factsheet: Biogas Digester Program Factsheet.

Supporting Regional Counter Wildlife Trafficking Organizations

DOI-ITAP supported USAID Kenya and East Africa's regional counter wildlife trafficking initiative working with countries throughout East Africa, with activities focused on building capacity in non-governmental organizations and government agencies to address wildlife crimes, convene partners to facilitate cooperation, support the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) implementation, and natural resources management.

• Primary Partner: USAID/Kenya and East Africa

Supporting Community Conservation in Kenya

DOI-ITAP supported multi-faceted engagements with government agencies and non-governmental institutions focused on biodiversity conservation, climate change planning, community outreach, anti-poaching support, and learning exchanges.

• Primary Partner: USAID/Kenya and East Africa

Tackling Illegal Wildlife Trade in Tanzania

DOI-ITAP helped combat wildlife crime and the illegal wildlife trade by building capacity of investigators and law enforcement officers, with emphasis on wildlife crime scene investigation, border inspections, and CITES implementation and enforcement.

• Primary Partner: USAID/Tanzania

Combating Wildlife Crime in Uganda

DOI-ITAP partnered with local NGOs and wildlife management authorities to combat wildlife crime with review of CITES implementation legislation, law enforcement training, and information sharing, including the NGO-led creation and distribution of sentencing guidelines for judges and magistrates.

• Primary Partner: USAID/Uganda