UK injects K460m in Malawi’s wildlife crime fight
United Kingdom (UK) has injected over £460,000 (K460m) into the fight against illegal wildlife trade in Malawi.
The support has been made under Round 7 of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.
British High Commissioner Communications Manager, Benson Linje, told Nyasa Times today that this year, UK will be supporting 17 projects across the globe, which have been successful in receiving a share of £7.2 million to protect wildlife under the challenge fund.
Linje said the Malawian project is among the 17 projects announced by the UK government today aimed at protecting animal special on the verge of extinction including tigers, orangutans and pangolins.
“The project, to be led by Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, will conduct courtroom monitoring, private prosecutions, support open judicial dialogue and case law reviews. This work will drive transparency in judicial processes, reduce corruption and deliver on-the-job mentoring, increasing protection for rhinos, pangolins and rosewood timber. Go to https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/project/XXIWT094/ to find out more,” he said.
UK has also announced that applications for Round 8 of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund are open.
Applicants to Round 8 of the fund have until 22 November to submit their Stage 1 application, according to Linje.
“For more information on previous projects as well as how to apply please visit www.iwt.challengefund.org.uk,” he said.
It is anticipated that endangered species including tigers, orangutans, pangolins and rosewood trees will be better protected under a range of projects funded by government this year aimed at tackling the damaging illegal wildlife trade.
The illegal wildlife trade, currently estimated to be worth up to £17 billion globally per year, is a serious organised crime, which threatens species with extinction, fuels corruption, deprives some of the world’s poorest communities of sustainable livelihoods and degrades ecosystems ability to store carbon.
The UK Government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund provides essential support to projects around the world in tackling the illegal wildlife trade for the benefit of wildlife, nature, local communities and economies, and global security.
The funding granted by the UK government under the fund this year will be vital to bending the curve on biodiversity loss and poverty alleviation around the world. There are eight projects in Asia, six in Africa and three in South America.
In Malawi, the project will tackle the illegal wildlife trade by supporting judicial processes.
The project will conduct courtroom monitoring, private prosecutions, support open judicial dialogue and case law reviews.
This work will drive transparency in judicial processes, reduce corruption and deliver on-the-job mentoring, increasing protection for rhinos, pangolins and rosewood timber. (Lilongwe Wildlife Trust).
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