Candidate info
Particular qualifications:
I have 20-years field experience managing parks, community and private conservation, followed by 20-years as a Professor, educator and researcher specializing in wildlife economy, governance and community. This includes chairing and participating in the IUCN-Southern African Sustainable Use Specialist group for many years, as well as serving on the GEF (4 years) and as IUCN Councilor (4 years). My strength is that I spend substantial periods working with grassroots communities and private conservation in Africa, and link these to academia and to IUCN. These direct rural roots enable me to keep IUCN's grounded, and my skills align directly with IUCN core business, namely protected areas and community/private conservation, supported by unique skills in economics, institutions and governance that are invaluable as IUCN takes on ever more complex global challenges.. I have been associated with IUCN since the 1990s, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and advocate for African communities and conservation in which I am deeply embedded. My goal is to accelerate iIUCN's current upward trajectory under a strong President and DG by recognizing that IUCN's power lies in its diverse commissions and memberships much more than HQ. I add competency in protected area economics, community conservation, and the economics and institutional economy of conservation which is vital for addressing drivers like agriculture, climate change that IUCN is beginning to focus on.
Experience in fields of concern to IUCN:
As a Councilor, I have advocated that IUCN's core business is Nature including species, protected areas and private/community conservation (30x30) through inclusive IPLCs. As an institutional specialist, I am advocating that IUCN can only scale up if it first scale's down to fully involve, utilize and empower its unique membership, serving to critically empower the people who live with nature and are best placed to conserve it. This reflects my career working with communities and farmers in Africa (and my commitment to them. I back this up with academic credibility as a Professor with multiple scientific publications, books, and a network of students around the world. I have specialized knowledge in protected area economics and finance, as well as conservation and community governance. As an agricultural economist I bring to IUCN skills in wildlife economy (complementary to publicly funded nature) and economic restructuring including feeding the world without destroying nature.