Park Revenue Generation

Through tourism, sustainable utilisation of natural resources, payments for eco-system services (nature-based solutions) and associated conservation-compatible enterprises, revenue is created that flows directly back into the management of the park. This in turn supports a conservation-led economy, generating long-term income for the protected area and supporting local livelihoods by promoting sustainable community development in its surroundings. Over time, this reduces donor dependence as parks become increasingly self-sustaining.

Akagera National Park in Rwanda stands as an excellent example of a park on its way to becoming self-sustaining. Through ongoing effective management efforts, investment and sustainable development, Akagera is almost fully self-financing through local enterprise projects and thriving tourism. In 2024, over US$4,7 million was earned in total park revenue, of which 97% was through tourism activities. This in turn supports the emergence of a healthy local conservation-led economy.  

Harvesting of natural resources in a sustainable manner helps generate funds for local communities as well as for the parks. Traditional and legislated access rights to natural resources are upheld and, in conjunction with effective conservation law enforcement, are managed for long-term sustainability to benefit local people and reduce overexploitation of biodiversity.  

For example, in Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia, black lechwe are harvested annually by permit holders to provide a source of protein for the communities, while also helping to manage healthy lechwe population numbers. This not only ensures an alternative protein supply for communities during times of the year when the fishing season is closed but also creates an alternative source of income for the protected area. Hides from the lechwe are converted to leather and into leather goods in tanneries run by local community members, who are trained by the Bangweulu Wetlands team. The hides are then curated into a variety of leather products by the community and sold at local markets.  

In addition, a variety of non-timber forest products are harvested across the parks, which are either consumed or packaged for sale by communities, such as harvesting of Shea nuts and baobab fruit in Pendjari, Benin, and cocoa for cocoa powder in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Congo. In Akagera National Park, Rwanda, nearly 660 beekeepers produced 13 tonnes of honey in 2024 generating approximately US$ 60,000, shared between themselves and the park. While the COPECO Gishanda fishing cooperative, which has an agreement to fish in the park’s lakes, harvested 130 tonnes of fish, earning US$ 121,837 for itself and US$ 130,731.92 for the park.

Sustainable tourism plays a vital role in generating revenue that supports both community development and biodiversity conservation. By ensuring that tourism is ecologically sustainable, socially inclusive, and financially viable, African Parks creates meaningful employment and business opportunities for local people. As tourism operations expand, so too do the benefits, stimulating local economies and ensuring shared investment in the park’s long-term success. To read more about our Sustainable Tourism click here

To generate long-term sustainable funding to finance conservation efforts and community development, African Parks supports nature-based solutions. These include Carbon Credits and Verifiable Nature Units.

Carbon Credit projects are currently being rolled out in several parks. These projects measure and verify the carbon storage, emission reductions and additional carbon sequestration achieved through the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems. Credits are then sold to companies wanting to offset their own carbon footprint, generating sustainable, long-term funding for conservation and community development within the protected areas. To read more about our Carbon Credit initiative click here

The Verifiable Nature Unit (VNU) is a scalable, outcomes-based mechanism that measures, reports, and verifies the ecological impact of funding, and positions nature conservation as a viable and competitive form of land use. Each VNU represents one square kilometre of land that has had its ecological integrity maintained or improved over a specifically defined period. It provides a verified unit of nature-positive impact in which funders can invest, enabling outcomes-based transactions that reward land stewards for conservation and restoration efforts. To read more about VNUs click here