By Abdullahi Lukman
A community-based conservation model introduced in southern Burkina Faso decades ago has left a lasting legacy, helping restore wildlife populations and protect habitats in a region long marked by ecological decline.
The approach, which allowed limited community hunting in exchange for wildlife protection, challenged conventional conservation thinking but proved effective on the ground.
The model was developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, when elephant populations had nearly disappeared and uncontrolled hunting was widespread.
Rather than banning hunting outright, conservationist Clark Lungren worked with local communities to establish shared responsibility for managing wildlife and land.
In return for regulated hunting rights, communities committed to safeguarding animals and habitats.
The experiment took root at Nazinga Game Reserve, south of Ouagadougou. Over time, wildlife numbers increased significantly, including the return of elephants.
Tourism grew, and former poachers were employed as wardens and guides, strengthening local support for conservation.
Lungren’s influence stemmed less from formal training than from deep local knowledge.
Raised in what was then Upper Volta, he spoke local languages, understood village governance, and became a naturalized citizen of Burkina Faso.
His work later helped shape village hunting zones, known as ZOVICs, which now serve as buffer areas around protected reserves.
Beyond Nazinga, Lungren contributed to community-managed conservation efforts across West and Central Africa.
He trained local wildlife monitors, advised on human–elephant conflict, and promoted the transfer of land and wildlife management authority to communities.
In the 1990s, he also established a demonstration farm near Ouagadougou to show how sustainable use of wild species could support livelihoods.
Although his work received limited international attention, Lungren was awarded Burkina Faso’s Order of Merit in 2007 and later advised governments and conservation organisations.
He remained active into his seventies, continuing to teach and advocate for community-led conservation.
Lungren died in September 2025 at the age of 74. Wildlife corridors at Nazinga remain intact, and the conservation agreements he helped establish continue to function.
In a region where many initiatives have struggled to endure, the survival of this model stands as a rare example of long-term recovery driven by local partnership.
