Gap Impact Funding challenge for Africa’s conservation sector

Drawing from over 60 years of combined private sector experience in property development, consumer goods, front line conservation and community engagement, Rewilding Africa CIC and its partners have made it their stated goal to convert land surrounding game reserves and national parks in Africa into multiple land use, multiple revenue streams, resilient and sustainable Community Conservancies. Following first principles related to the planning, financing, development and management of a typical property development, including the incubation and setting up of conservation-based businesses within and around these Community Conservancies.

These Community Conservancies will, in effect, substantially enhance and enable biodiversity (through appropriate management and rewilding) for these landscapes, and act as thrive buffer zones, protecting the parks themselves. Community Conservancies help significantly to achieve both the Sustainable Development Goals and 30 x 30 goals stated by the United Nations and they intend unpacking potential gap impact funding solutions, including the proposed formation of a Rewilding Africa Impact Fund (RAIF).

Reasons to join this webinar:

- Understand how a novel and practical planning, development and management implementation model could be the answer to Africa’s biodiversity protection and livelihood creation crisis.

- Presented with a possible solution for the Gap Impact Funding challenge the continents conservation sector faces for vital communal and land use planning.

- Learn how Community Conservancies could in effect, substantially enhance and enable biodiversity (through appropriate management and rewilding) for the wildernesses surrounding Africa’s National Parks and Game Reserves and how they could act as thrive buffer zones, actually protecting the parks themselves.

Watch the replay below:

Speakers:
 
James Arnott, CEO, Rewilding Africa CIC
James’ early career revolved around FMCG marketing management, working with corporates such as Unilever and Robertson’s Spices, based in Durban. He moved into property full time in 2003 and has subsequently been involved with several reputable development and construction businesses in ownership and various roles and has completed several successful property developments in South Africa.

Simon Kennedy
Simon is an environmental economist and project manager with 7+ years of professional experience working across a broad range of environmental sustainability and socio-economic development projects across Southern Africa, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia. This has enabled him to develop specialised skills in environmental valuation, economic and financial appraisal, qualitative and quantitative research, and strategy design and implementation. At the core of Simon's work is the use of economic tools to embed sustainability into decision making processes at the nexus of environmental conservation, economic opportunity, and human well-being. 
 
Dr. Ezra Carlson
Ezra is a senior leader and academic with over 25 years of management and advisory experience in large global multinational companies. Ezra has founded and successfully grown three startups and is a visiting academic at Cranfield School of Management, a visiting lecturer at Hertfordshire Business School and previously an adjunct professor and research fellow at Hult International Business School teaching and researching entrepreneurship, sustainability, and social innovation in finance. His current research is focused on financing the ‘funding gap’ in sustainable innovation and enhancing entrepreneurial decision-making. 

Dominic Webb
Owner & Founder of Orbis Africa UK & Orbis DMC, a bespoke Expedition company specialising in Philanthropic, Social Impact, Global Citizenship & Conservation-led tourism programmes to Africa. Orbis’ belief is that sustainable economic growth must be built through bi-lateral socially-led partnerships with local communities. Their model is simple; Tourism generated income generates sustainable solutions to positive economic, social and environmental growth. Dom started his career managing high profile Safari Lodges across East Africa before realising the power of positive tourism for education and conservation practices was paramount to Africa’s sustainable development. Dom now works as a specialist consultant in progressive & forward thinking Responsible Tourism practices for destinations, hotels, tourism departments and Governments across the African continent.   

Grant Fowlds, Author, Front conservationist, Community specialist
Grant is a passionate conservationist, a connector and communicator with a unique ability to bring people together. His fluency in both Zulu and Xhosa are a critical tool in bringing this project to fruition. He is a bestselling author, and his 2 books Saving the Last Rhinos, and more recently Rewilding Africa, are opening doors and connecting people from all over the planet with this project and programme for rangeland expansion.