There is no question that Africa needs to develop to meet the needs of its people. And Africa’s need for economic development is non-negotiable. But, let us not ignore the urgent need for us to recognize that most of Africa’s wealth is above the ground.
Africa’s development pathway, therefore, should be underpinned by the reality that our lives and economies are embedded in nature and biodiversity and ecosystems services.
Those at the centre of propelling this dream to the African masses are the members of the fourth estate.
You my friends, are the few institutions that hold Africa’s future by the neck, one single twist in the wrong direction and the whole back bone will crumble; thrusting the continent into ultimate chaos led by increased biodiversity loss as a result of habitat fragmentation, climate change, illegal wildlife trade, you name it…
On the brighter side, you have the equal ability to shine light on the enormous progress on the continent, proving that in fact, not all hope is indeed lost – as we were made to think a few decades ago.
If each and every medium, chose to focus on the thriving numbers of wildlife population, the brave lives of scouts and rangers in the African savannah and the bustling wildlife economies propelling community growth, within these hopeful stories, will awaken a generation filled with appreciation and awareness for the key role of conservation in Africa’s growth trajectory.
You may be asking…why is this important, how critical is this to me? How does it affect me or my family?
The truth of the matter is, should things remain as is, in the years to come, an African who wants to see an African rhino – or possibly a chameleon – is more likely to do so if he or she travels to a wildlife sanctuary in Australia or some such place, than to a park on the continent.
You see, a once unthinkable idea, now looks likely…
The meaning of that has to be unsettling – the idea that Africans have failed – the irony is that we seem not to even have started … Pretty much – we as Africans, have outsourced conservation to other folks.
What Africans need to know, is that conservation management and diligent environmental stewardship, are fairly reliable proxies for broader good governance. These facts can only best be presented through the fourth estate in order to promote public discourse and push for accountability amongst our leaders.
What we have failed to unlearn is that Natural Resource Management and conservation is not only for the so-called tree huggers.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a clear manifestation of our broken relationship with nature, and it is a clear indication of the reality of our future if we do not wake up from this fantasy that we are living in.
It has highlighted the deep interconnection between nature, human health and well-being, and how unprecedented biodiversity loss threatens the health of both people and the planet.
It is a one health concept. Simple. No one else is coming to save us, we must clean up the mess that we created.
So, how does your role as agenda setters and decision makers in your respective media houses come to play?
You, my friends, wield the power to shift the narrative for ensuring wildlife thrives in a modern Africa.
You are the best placed to change the debate: proposing that African governments do not have to choose development over conservation – that is a false choice.
But the change starts from understanding that conservation is not going to be successful too - without development.
The correct path, on which we have to challenge ourselves is in helping with how the continent should embrace the future and create an Africa that makes wildlife and wild lands a centerpiece of sustainable development ‐ recognizing its unique and inherent value.
By engaging in a different debate and approach, we, together – as Africans, can work to elevate conservation to the status of an economic, food security, freshwater safety, trade, and foreign policy issue that leads to sustainable development, in the eyes of governments and young people across the continent and beyond.
The ball is therefore in your court dear friends, to turn the lens on yourselves and ensure you are representing Africa, its wildlife, forests, and rivers in your editorial meetings as you pick the next agenda.
The author is the Chief Executive Officer of African Wildlife Foundation