Participation Takes Flight: Webinar Highlights Community Leadership in Wetland Conservation

Conservationists across Africa and Europe came together this month to discuss how participatory approaches are strengthening the resilience of wetlands, migratory birds, and people along the East Atlantic Flyway.

The webinar, titled “People, Wetlands & Birds: Participatory Approaches for a Resilient East Atlantic Flyway,” was hosted under the Climate-Resilient East Atlantic Flyway (CREAF) project, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Government.

Participation as a Foundation for Resilience

Opening the session, Ward Hagemeijer, Senior Adviser at Wetlands International, described participation as the backbone of resilience in conservation.

“You can’t protect bird migration without protecting the relationships that make it possible,” he said. “When communities co-own conservation, resilience follows naturally.”

Hagemeijer explained that CREAF builds on years of collaboration across the East Atlantic Flyway, connecting site-based initiatives with regional governance. He highlighted that participation is already woven into the project’s design, from co-management at local wetland sites to multi-country partnerships that bring scientific and community knowledge together.

“The science matters,” he added, “but it only works when it’s rooted in local knowledge and trust.”

Participation in Practice: Lessons from South Africa

A strong field perspective came from Nandi Thobela, Empowering People Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa, who shared how participatory management has taken shape at the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a high-altitude wetland vital for species such as the endangered Blue Crane, South Africa’s national bird.

Through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools, mapping exercises, and dialogue, local farmers and herders co-designed grazing plans that balanced wetland recovery with livestock needs. The project also trained local EcoRangers and piloted mobile cattle auctions, creating incentives for sustainable land use.

“Participation isn’t a meeting, it’s a process,” said Thobela. “You listen, act, learn, and adjust. Every round builds more trust.”

Her reflections illustrated CREAF’s broader approach: ensuring that participation is not a one-off event but a continuous cycle that strengthens stewardship and local livelihoods.

Shared Stewardship Along the Flyway

The discussion connected examples from West Africa to Southern Africa, showing how participation is being applied in different ecological and social settings, from co-management of coastal wetlands to inclusive community dialogues.

Participants agreed that wetlands are both ecological and social systems and that communities are not just beneficiaries but custodians of shared resources. Speakers emphasized that lasting conservation depends on trust, equity, and the recognition of local knowledge.

One audience member asked how projects can move forward when communities are initially hesitant or unwilling to participate. Speakers responded that trust must be earned through transparency, shared benefits, and steady collaboration, starting small and proving value over time.

Looking Ahead

Insights from the webinar will inform CREAF’s ongoing activities, including participatory management pilots, capacity-building for community groups, and peer exchanges among Flyway partners. The initiative will continue to explore how collaborative approaches can improve wetland governance, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience across the region.

A full recording and presentation materials from the session can be found here.