With climate change putting pressure on natural resources, ACADIR works with the local communities to conserve some of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world located in the province of Cuando Kando.

We facilitate the establishment and training of water and sanitation groups, which mobilize communities for the better use of freshwater.

We work with state water services to represent community interests. ACADIR also conducts water basin management training for management committees to reduce pressure on water sources - for example, we encourage no burning or cultivation next to river beds to avoid an increase in sedimentation. The water and sanitation groups also support communities during floods and coordinate with fishing cooperatives and local authorities. We have also installed solar panels to power water pumps for conservation agriculture and other purposes, and built latrines with local materials for improved sanitation.

Poaching, bushmeat hunting, and illegal logging continue to pose a significant threat to wildlife and forestry resources in Cuando Cubango. ACADIR is helping the local communities to manage their forestry resources correctly.

Cuando Cubango faces a big problem of forest degradation (mostly clearing for agriculture, coal production and commercial purposes such as logging). We mobilise and build the capacity of communities through training in fire management, reforestation, replanting, selection of what trees can be used for coal and markets for non-timber forestry products (such as honey), as well as financial management.

We also conduct awareness events and plant indigenous fruit trees as well as establish forest cooperatives. The non-timber forest products ACADIR that we promote for the communities to benefit from include fruits, honey, medicinal plants, and mushrooms. We help to identify markets and provide materials for their exploration.

To help protect wildlife populations, ACADIR recruits and trains resource monitors and rangers from the community. The monitors and rangers receive training in wildlife data collection, the use of technology, wildlife movement tracking including wildlife corridors, and more. They also collect reports on wildlife-related incidents, such as poaching and human-wildlife conflict.

We also spearhead and facilitate the participation of communities in collecting wildlife data, primarily at Luengue Luiana National Park. Our wildlife reports are essential to communities and other critical stakeholders - such as the government's park management - in making informed decisions on the future of wildlife in Cuando Cubango. A key success of our wildlife conservation efforts is that between 2019 and 2022, the population of elephants in the Luengue Luiana park increased by 95%.