PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 2: MAINTAIN AFRICAN ELEPHANT HABITATS AND RESTORE CONNECTIVITY

Across the continent, African elephant habitat is increasingly being degraded, fragmented and in some cases lost entirely, due to human activity such as housing and agricultural expansion as well as logging and mining. These losses reduce the habitat available to African elephants and restrict their movement and access to essential food and water resources. There is an urgent need to secure and maintain extensive landscapes for African elephants and to restore and maintain connectivity between these areas where possible.

Historically, for many AERS, local and national land use planning has been undertaken with limited consideration for elephant and elephant habitat. As land pressures continue to grow across the continent, a larger vision which considers African elephant and other wildlife habitat needs, as well as the socio-economic development needs of local communities, is essential.

The following Strategies have been identified as priorities by African elephant range States as essential for maintaining and restoring African elephant habitat and its connectivity:

AEAP strategies for objective 2

Strategy 2.1: Ensure, maintain and restore connectivity, where possible, between elephant ranges within and between range States.

Strategy 2.2: Establish and strengthen bilateral and multilateral mechanisms and support for the management of sites and cross-border corridors across borders.

Strategy 2.3: Promote internal and cross-border land use planning within and between elephant range States.

Strategy 2.4: Ensure adequate maintenance of current elephant habitats within and between elephant range States taking due cognition of climate change and its effects.

Related projects

Namibia - Aerial survey of elephants in the north-west of Nambia.

Kenya - Conducted an analysis of the impact of poaching on elephants and threats to elephants in the Tsavo-Mkomazi ecosystem

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 3: REDUCE ILLEGAL KILLING OF ELEPHANTS AND ILLEGAL TRADE IN ELEPHANT PRODUCTS

All regions of the continent are affected by poaching of African elephants for the illegal ivory trade, and increasingly for meat, and a national, regional and continental approach to dealing with the problem is necessary. Over the past 50 years many African elephant populations, particularly in West, Central and East Africa, have been subjected to high levels of poaching resulting in some cases in the loss of 50% or more of the individual elephants in these populations and there is an immediate threat to the long-term survival of elephant in some countries. Remaining African elephant populations, from all regions, require ongoing protection if they are to persist into the future. In addition to illegal killing for ivory and meat, in many areas African elephants face threats from human-elephant conflict.

The following Strategies have been identified by the African elephant range States as priorities for combating the threats noted above:

AEAP strategies for objective 3

Strategy 3.1: Strengthen the capacity of law enforcement authorities/agencies to combat poaching and illegal trade in ivory and other elephant products.

Strategy 3.2: Harmonize national policies and laws to reduce illegal killing of African elephants and illegal trade of their products within and across range States where possible.

Strategy 3.3: Develop and update national policies and laws to reduce illegal killing of African elephants and illegal trade of their products within and across range States where possible. 

Related projects

Nigeria - Supported SMART ranger patrols at Yankari Game Reserve to strengthen law enforcement and reduce elephant poaching.

Ethiopia - At national level, combat the illegal trade in elephant ivory, improved field intelligence and the capabilities for the investigation of ivory and other wildlife crimes and law enforcement operations, and conducted workshops and capacity building in southern Ethiopia.

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 4: INCREASE AWARENESS OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

Essential to the success of the AEAP is the need to increase awareness and involvement of a wider community concerning African elephant conservation and management and widely accepted guiding principles. Current information is often difficult to find, not synthesized or is too scientific and difficult for people, particularly policymakers, to fully understand. There is a need for regular updates of objective, unbiased and reliable information that can be accessed by all levels of stakeholder at a local, regional and international level.

The following have been identified by all African elephant range States as priority Strategies for increasing awareness on elephant conservation and management:

AEAP strategies for objective 4

Strategy 4.1: Raise awareness on the conservation of the African elephant among range States and other stakeholders.

Strategy 4.2: Incorporate appropriate indigenous/traditional knowledge and practices into the conservation of the African elephant.

Strategy 4.3: Promote information sharing on elephant conservation and management research findings.

Related projects

Ghana - Elephant conservation through law enforcement and stakeholder engagement in the Mole National Park and its vicinity. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - Taking the African elephant database to the next level

OBJECTIVE 5: STRENGTHEN RANGE STATES KNOWLEDGE ON AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

An understanding of elephant populations together with their historical and current distribution is essential in order to improve the effectiveness of elephant conservation policies and management interventions. Development of comprehensive national action plans for elephant conservation and management requires a good and current understanding of elephant numbers, trends and distribution. It should also be recognized that acquiring full knowledge of all aspects of individual elephant populations is unattainable, and decision-makers must work with best available information in an adaptive manner.

The following have been identified by all African elephant range States as priority Strategies for improving knowledge of elephant populations and their habitats for management purposes:

AEAP strategies for objective 5

Strategy 5.1: Determine and monitor the status and movement patterns of African elephant populations and their habitat within and among elephant range States.

Strategy 5.2: Develop mechanisms for acquiring and disseminating relevant information within and between African elephant range States.

Related projects

Nigeria - Used satellite collars to provide more effective protection of elephants and reduced human-elephant conflict at the Yankari Game Reserve.

Gabon - Developed a quadcopter and infrared camera system to monitor and track the African forest elephant. Gabon - Traceability genetics in ivory to strengthen law enforcement in Gabon.

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 6: STRENGTHEN COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN RANGE STATES

Many of the issues and challenges concerning the conservation and management of African elephants are shared by range States. Over time, AERS have progressively strengthened their understanding and their cooperation on numerous social, economic and environmental issues of mutual interest and concern including the shared resources for African elephants. This has resulted in, among other outcomes, regional elephant conservation policies and strategies. In addition, a number of transboundary plans and projects have been initiated to guide joint management activities and protection of African elephants and their habitats by neighbouring range States.

Existing political and economic frameworks can be used to increase wider public perception of the importance of elephant conservation and relevant management issues. They can also be used to enable greater information sharing, dialogue and cooperation between range States at both technical and political levels. This includes the coordination of African elephant population and movement surveys and anti-poaching activities where elephant populations move across international borders.

The following have been identified by all African elephant range States as priority Strategies for strengthening cooperation and understanding between range States:

AEAP strategies for objective 6

Strategy 6.1: Foster cross-sectoral, cross-border, sub-regional and continental exchanges to integrate the expanded set of perspectives and needs of elephant conservation and management into national priorities and plans.

Strategy 6.2: Use existing political, economic, social (community) and other frameworks to promote inter-state cooperation on elephant conservation and management, e.g., AU, ECOWAS, SADC, EAC, COMIFAC and COMESA.

Related projects

LUSAKA Task Force - Better cooperation in combating elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade in East Africa.

LUSAKA Task Force - Better enforcement of the law to combat elephant poaching and ivory trafficking in Central Africa. CMS/African Elephant Fund Secretariat - Adoption of the African Elephant Action Plan.

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 7: IMPROVED COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION ON AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

While it is recognized that elephants have intrinsic value, recognition must also be given to those communities that share land and resources (coexist) with African elephants, and who are most affected by elephants on a day-to-day basis. It is often the case that these communities bear the costs of living with elephants (such as loss of food crops), while the benefits (such as revenue from tourism) are largely harnessed by people living further afield. It is important to recognize and address this issue, as the accrual of benefits should be to those at a local level who are  most affected by, and bear the costs of, living with African elephants.

The following have been identified by all African elephant range States as priority Strategies for assessing the costs of living with elephants and who should derive the benefits therefrom:

AEAP strategies for objective 7

Strategy 7.1: Devise/improve and implement sustainable benefits/incentive schemes for local communities who bear the cost of living with African elephants.

Related projects

Burkina Faso – Conducted capacity-building for conflict management in Burkina Faso.

Zambia - Developed human-elephant conflict and mitigation tools in Zambia.

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE 8: THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT ACTION PLAN IS ADEQUATELY AND SUSTAINABLY FUNDED AND EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED

This is an overarching operational objective of the African Elephant Action Plan and has the intent of promoting not only national but also regional and in cases, continental funding and the implementation mechanisms for the AEAP. The African elephant range States are committed to the following procedures for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the implementation of this Action Plan: 

AEAP strategies for objective 8:

Strategy 8.1: Promote a systematic approach to implement the African Elephant Action Plan.

Strategy 8.2: Develop and implement an effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan.

Strategy 8.3: Link the African Elephant Action Plan with the African Elephant Fund. 

Related projects

Central Africa - Developed a strategy for the Conservation of Elephants in Central Africa 2005-2015 adopted by all Central African range States in 2005;

Kenya - Developed a conservation and management strategy for the elephants in Kenya, 2012-2021;

Ethiopia - Developed the Ethiopian elephant action plan, 2015-2025; Zimbabwe- Developed the Zimbabwe national elephant management plan, 2015-2020.