Community forestry efforts in parts of Nepal have led to the restoration of vital habitat corridors for the survival of tiger populations living there. WWF is helping local people to manage and directly benefit from these forest resources. According to the report, groups of community forest users can earn $4,760 annually in a nation where the per capita income is roughly $250.
In the Indian village of Farida, a WWF awareness-raising program aimed at conserving the rare Ganges river dolphin helped the community to address critical basic needs such as clean water. After five years, the number of families below the poverty line significantly declined.
The report further shows that more than 60 percent of people living around Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which protects the habitat of the endangered mountain gorilla, feel they benefit economically and socially from the forests. Other examples show that, in China, illegal and damaging activities in forested panda reserves declined when communities gained alternative sources of income, such as farming and animal husbandries supported by WWF. In Namibia, the creation of conservancies, where communities are jointly managing their wildlife resources, has resulted in better wildlife management, increased wildlife populations, ecotourism development and increased profits in community-owned enterprises.