Community involvement and collaboration are at the heart of Conservation Justice’s actions.
Law enforcement can only be accepted in the long term with the support of both the authorities and local communities.
This is why an environmental education program has been developed in schools, reaching more than 10,000 children each year.
Communities are also directly supported in their efforts to benefit from the Contractual Specifications. This mechanism, through which logging companies finance local development projects, faces many challenges that local communities address with the active support of Conservation Justice. This involves strengthening community cohesion and organization, improving understanding of legislation, and monitoring the process within Project Management and Monitoring Committees, and in some cases before the courts.
Conservation Justice also supports local communities in mitigating human–wildlife conflict. Elephants in particular cause severe damage to village agricultural fields, with significant negative impacts on household food security and income. Installing electric fences around farmlands has proven to be the most pragmatic solution. A partnership has therefore been developed with the NGO Space for Giants, enabling Conservation Justice to facilitate the installation of electric fences and ensure their monitoring in collaboration with local communities.
Finally, an environmental education program benefiting more than 10,000 children each year is carried out in rural schools.