Linking the Community Options Analysis and Investment Toolkit (COAIT), Consensys® and Payment for Environmental Services (PES): A Model to Promote Sustainability in African Gorilla Conservation

Abstract

Most approaches to gorilla conservation have been top-down national park approachesthat have included some limited form of community participation†. The top-down approacheshave worked relatively well in Uganda and Rwanda. as Adams and Infield (2001: p. 146) put it,"the patient is stabilized, but the harder tasks of surgery and post-operative recovery lie ahead,but they do not appear to have guaranteed sustainability. As Eves and Bakarr (2001: p. 53)conclude, "the maintenance of protected areas is an extremely costly and difficult process, and,despite tremendous concern and long-term efforts, most governments are hard-pressed to securethe human and financial resources necessary to monitor, mange and protect wildlifepopulations." Given the economic, social, political and population pressures many communitiesface, communities neighboring parks could represent a serious medium- to long-term threat togorilla conservation in the absence of innovative programming approaches. Considering thissobering reality, communities must at least accept, if not actively support, protection of gorillasand their habitat if gorillas are to have a chance at survival into the next century. This paperpresents the use of tools developed by IRM (Community Options, Assessment and InvestmentTool - COAIT- and ConsensysTM) along with incentives provided through payments forenvironmental services as a realistic approach to achieve this.