Livelihood interventions in conservation: Expectations and reality around protected areas in Cameroon.

Author

Juliet Wright | TRADE Project

My research and conservation work has focused on understanding the drivers of wildlife exploitation in tropical forests in order to develop more effective strategies to reduce unsustainable hunting, trade and consumption. My main area of interest is the wild meat trade in Central Africa. This interest grew out of a lifelong passion for great apes, which are one of many species groups threatened by the wild meat trade. I've spent more than 17 years working on research and conservation interventions across Central Africa, spending extended periods of time in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I currently work as the Research Coordinator on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Urban Bushmeat Project. As part of this role, I coordinate research activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo for the UKRI GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub in collaboration with ICCS, ERAIFT and CIFOR. This includes research to understand motives for consuming wild meat, profile wild meat sellers, monitor changing perceptions of wild meat as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluate the effectiveness of demand reduction campaigns. Prior to this role, I conducted my PhD with ICCS on the effectiveness of livelihood interventions in conservation, with an empirical focus on projects implemented to reduce wild meat hunting around protected areas in Cameroon.