Across the planet WCS collaborates with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to achieve a shared vision for a more secure, inclusive, just, equitable, and resilient future, where wildlife remains a visible, thriving, and culturally valued part of the wild places where our partners live and we work.
Through the WCS Global Rights + Communities programme, we support many Indigenous Peoples' and local community-led conservation efforts in this shared vision, and also facilitate spaces to bring their perspectives and rights into other conservation models. For more information, click here.
WCS is one of the implementing partners of the EU-funded Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, a major international initiative that aims to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in forest, savannah and wetland ecosystems. The SWM Programme is developing innovative, collaborative, and scalable new approaches to conserve wild animals and protect ecosystems, whilst at the same time improving the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who depend on these resources. Projects are being piloted and tested with governments and communities in 16 participating countries.