GEOG Researcher Awarded USAID PEER Grant to Study COVID-19 Impacts on Wildlife Economy in Southern Africa

Meredith Gore, an associate professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences, has been awarded a grant by USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)–a program that supports collaborative research projects between scientists from USAID partner countries and US government-funded researchers–to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the wildlife economy in southern Africa.

Gore, a conservation social scientist who brings an interdisciplinary and action-oriented approach to conservation issues, will be working with colleagues from the University of Cape Town to understand how the pandemic impacted illegal wildlife trade in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Read a brief synopsis of the project below.

The aim of this project is to enhance understanding about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions on the wildlife economy of southern Africa. The wildlife economy involves both humans and wildlife, generates income and livelihoods for rural people and includes diverse forms of tourism. USAID has invested substantial resources in building the wildlife economy, ensuring benefits reach traditionally marginalized groups including women and youths. Unfortunately, an illegal wildlife economy persists, undermining sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. This project investigates the nature of the pandemic’s shadows and explores its impact on illegal wildlife trade in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

Image courtesy of David Gadsden.

Published on Thu, 07/21/2022 - 18:03