A Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development
The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a global threat. The problem is particularly acute in Africa and Asia, where iconic species – the African elephant, white and black rhinos, and pangolins – are being poached to extinction. About 33,000 elephants are poached every year for their ivory. Rhino poaching has also reached crisis levels. In 2017, 1,028 rhinos were poached in South Africa, up steeply from 13 in 2007, according to TRAFFIC. As species are poached and illegally harvested at increasingly unsustainable levels, wildlife crime has become the fourth most lucrative illegal business after narcotics, human trafficking, and weapons.
The presence of wildlife in protected areas ensures that an ecosystem can function and maintain natural capital (soil, forests, air, water, etc.) As natural resource crime such as poaching increases, it results in environmental degradation. This adversely affects ecosystem services, which in turn affects the survival of these communities who depend upon these services for livelihoods, fuel and food. The cost of environmental crime to developing countries is estimated to be more than US$70 billion a year (World Bank 2014).
To respond to the growing crisis and international call for action, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in June 2015 launched the “Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development” program also known as the Global Wildlife Program (GWP).
What does the Global Wildlife Program aim to do?
The GWP is a World Bank-led, GEF-funded global partnership that promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combatting illicit trafficking in wildlife. This seven-year, US$131 million grant program is expected to leverage an additional US$704 million in additional co-financing from a wide range of partners to promote conservation investments across Africa and Asia. By approaching the poaching crisis holistically through various country projects and a broader global project, it seeks to reduce both the supply and demand that drives the illegal wildlife trade and protect species and habitats through integrated landscape planning.
GWP’s priority and immediate focus are combating wildlife poaching, trafficking, and demand.
Through its global and country projects, the GWP will:
Collectively, the GWP countries make up an incredible repository of biodiversity and potential for sustainable development. The program’s integrated platform supports national governments, Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Wildlife and Protected Areas across 19 countries.
In Africa, the GWP has programs in Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Republic of Congo (WBG), Republic of Congo (UNDP), South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In Asia, programs are in Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines (see brochure), Thailand, and Vietnam.
The GWP collaborates with development partners in the ground to reduce the impacts of wildlife poaching and trafficking, and promote livelihood activities by local communities. The implementing agencies channeling the funds to the governments or other partners for the national projects are the World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The GWP works with the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), donors and conservation partners to implement an integrated approach for biodiversity conservation, wildlife crime prevention and sustainable development, including:
"The current crisis in the illegal trade of wildlife reflects on the poor governance, the lucrative benefits of illegal trade and the rise in demand of wildlife products. It is our hope that in partnering with many others, GWP will combat wildlife crime, engage communities in sustainable livelihood alternatives, and improve the governance of natural resources. "
Claudia Sobrevila
Global Wildlife Program Manager, World Bank Group
Knowledge exchange is an integral part of the GWP programmatic approach. The GWP conducts monthly virtual knowledge exchange events on a range of topics related to anti-poaching, community engagement, tourism concessions, counter-wildlife trafficking, anti-corruption and consumer demand reduction. Since the start of 2017, over 800 participants across the globe have joined these monthly virtual events with a 154% increase in participation from 2016. Aimed towards bringing the latest and most innovative tools and studies to the forefront, the virtual events are an easy way for stakeholders to learn from experts and share lessons learned.
The GWP also holds face-to-face knowledge exchange events bringing together government representatives from national projects with implementing agency partners and other conservation organizations. Some of the events so far are described below.
In-Person Knowledge Exchange Events
Annual Conference on Cross-Border Partnerships for Conservation and Development
Location: Livingstone, Zambia
Dates: October 29-November 1, 2018
Agenda | Conference Proceedings | Video
International Conference on Nature-Based Tourism in Conservation Areas
Location: Maputo, Mozambique
Dates: June 7-9, 2018
Event page | Blog | Background and Agenda (EN) | Agenda and Brochure (PT)
Study Tour on Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation and Co-Existence
Location: Sri Lanka
Dates: October 7-8, 2017
Report | Blog
Annual Conference on People’s Participation in Wildlife Conservation
Location: Delhi and Pench Tiger Reserve, India
Dates: October 2-7, 2017
Conference Proceedings
Knowledge Exchange on Africa-Asia Pacific Symposium on Strengthening Legal Frameworks to Combat Wildlife Crime
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dates: July 4-5, 2017
Report
Knowledge Exchange to Reduce Human Wildlife Conflict and Enhance Coexistence
Location: La Lope and Libreville, Gabon
Dates: April 3-7, 2017
Conference Proceedings | Blog
Knowledge Exchange on Reducing Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Dates: November 14-16, 2017
Conference Proceedings | Blog
Knowledge Exchange on Engaging Communities in Wildlife Conservation
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Dates: May 18-20, 2016
Blog
Knowledge Exchange to Combat Wildlife Crime
Location: Gland, Switzerland
Dates: January 18-19, 2016
If you would like to join virtual events, please email gwp-info@worldbank.org
Report: The Global Wildlife Program: Knowledge Platform 2016-2018, October 2018
Report: Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods through Wildlife Tourism, February 2018
Report: Tools and Resources to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade, March 2018
Report: Analysis of International Funding to Tackle Illegal Wildlife Trade, June 2016
Ebook: Analysis of International Funding to Tackle Illegal Wildlife Trade | Fact Sheet [.PDF, 138KB], June 2016
Brochure: Global Wildlife Program - English [.PDF 3.8 MB | French [.PDF 3.9 MB], March 2017
Infographic: How to Help Save Wildlife, March 2017
Joining forces to halt poaching and trafficking across Africa and Asia, April 2019
Women in nature conservation: a win-WINN, March 2019
Community-based forestry in Malawi will soon bear fruit, February 2019
Putting youth to work while preserving a South African ecosystem, December 2018
Behind the lens: Capturing the story of Niassa's elephant defenders, November 2018
Ensuring a world where elephants aren’t the next dinosaurs, August 2018
Levering PPPs in Mozambique to scale conservation and development (also - in Portuguese), July 2018
Rowing a boat for tourism and development in Vietnam, June 2018
Why Did the Elephant Cross the Road? March 2018
Big Challenges for Big Cats: Supporting Wildlife Law Enforcement in Lao PDR, February 2018
Elephants hate kale and other lessons in bringing conservation and development together, January 2018
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, December 2017
Africa can benefit from nature-based tourism in a sustainable manner, September 2017
Elephants are calling for help: Will you answer? August 2017
Why law enforcement is essential to stopping illegal wildlife trade, July 2017
Corridors to coexistence: reducing human-wildlife conflict, May 17, 2017
The world’s wildlife needs young naturalists, March 2017
Reducing demand must be a core component of combatting wildlife crime, December 2016
The future of wildlife is in our hands, March 2016
Growing Wildlife-Based Tourism Sustainably: A New Report and Q&A, March 2018
Act now to save wildlife: 5 actions that make a difference, November 2017
Ramping up Nature-Based Tourism to Protect Biodiversity and Boost Livelihoods, May 2017
Engaging Communities in Wildlife Conservation, July 2016
Stunning Sights, Wild Experiences: Nature-Based Tourism A Boon for Emerging Economies, December 2015
Building Intelligence Systems Vital to Protect Elephants in Africa, June 2015
Fighting Wildlife Crime to End Extreme Poverty and Boost Shared Prosperity, July 2014
Why You Should Care About Wildlife, March 2014
Innovations and Actions: 2018 Global Wildlife Program’s 2nd Annual Conference in Zambia, April 2019
Restoring Malawi's Shire River Basin | YouTube , February 2019
iSimangaliso Wetland Park – Transforming lives and Protecting Nature, December 2018
Protecting Elephants from the Air, August 2018
Elephant Defenders: Rangers in Niassa National Reserve, Mozambique (trailer) | YouTube, July 2018
Rangers in Vietnam: Protecting one of the world’s most rare primates | YouTube, July 2018
Rowing a boat to protect Vietnam’s nature, langurs and livelihoods | YouTube, June 2018
Working together to save wildlife and ecosystems | YouTube, November 2017
Reducing Human-Wildlife Conflict and Enhancing Coexistence | YouTube, May 2017
Professor Lee White: Will African Elephants Survive This Generation? | YouTube, April 2017
Analyzing Donor Funding Towards the Illegal Wildlife Trade
An Analysis of International Funding to Tackle Illegal Wildlife Trade was launched by the World Bank Group in November 2016, collecting data from 24 international donors. Over the period 2010-2016 more than $1.3 billion was invested in efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade in Africa and Asia, equivalent to approximately $190 million per year. The interactive e-Book on the analysis is supported by interactive data visualizations on the WBG’s mobile data platform Spatial Agent.
Donor Meetings
The World Bank Group hosts quarterly donor meetings where individual donors have the opportunity to share their portfolio highlights. A continuation of the donor analysis to document lessons learned is currently underway, thanks to generous financial support from the government of Germany. The work plan and approach for this effort was launched at a closed meeting for donors in the margins of this 69th meeting of the Standing Committee.
Donor Coordination in Action
Through these vivid and interactive "story maps" you can explore a few of our World Bank and GEF-funded projects.
Mozambique Conservation Areas for Biodiversity and Development (MozBio) 
This case is about a five-year World Bank Group and GEF-financed MozBio project that addresses some of the most pressing challenges to conservation areas in Mozambique, which cover 25 percent of the country.
The Second Lao Environment and Social Project (LENS2)
This case study is on the World Bank and GEF-funded $38.83 million project to help strengthen management of protected areas, wildlife law enforcement, and environmental protection systems. LENS2 aims to improve the capacity and coordination between public institutions, civil society, and concerned communities to manage protected areas and enforce wildlife laws.
The Global Wildlife Program is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the World Bank. Partners include governments of 19 countries in Africa and Asia along with UNDP, ADB and UN Environment.
