A new report documenting the economic value of ecosystem services provided by vultures in Southern Africa has been launched by BirdLife International, marking a significant milestone in understanding the role of vultures in the ecosystem. According to the report, which focused on Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, vultures provide ecosystem services including bequest values, sanitation and pest control services, totalling to $1.8 billion per year.
Africa is home to 11 species of vultures. Seven face the risk of extinction, listed as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Vultures, essential for maintaining ecological balance by scavenging on decaying carcasses, have experienced alarming declines, with African vulture populations plummeting by 80-97% over the last five decades, with some species facing a decline of over 92%.
The main threats include poisoning (responsible for 61% of recorded vulture deaths across Africa); belief-based use (29%); and electrocution by energy infrastructure (9%). Halting and reversing these declines is imperative to prevent vultures from becoming extinct.
In Southern Africa, widespread poisoning of vultures through secondary poisoning incidences at carcasses of mega-herbivores and for belief-based use pose a severe threat to vultures, with incidents such as the mass poisoning in Botswana in 2019, resulting in the death of over 500 Critically Endangered vultures. Other threats in the region include collision and electrocution by energy infrastructure, and habitat destruction among others.
The adverse decline of vultures in Asia in the 1990s due to the presence of diclofenac in carcasses, provided a window into a catastrophic scenario without vultures and the impact of the loss of the ecosystem services they provide. Thus, BirdLife International and its Partners commissioned the study to evaluate the value of vultures in the African context and the impact of not having vultures in the ecosystem.
Additionally, the report highlights other values associated with vultures and the economic value associated with them by communities living with vultures, the public (local and international) tourism players as well as rangers and parks personnel. Further, it highlights welfare loss due to not taking action to conserve vultures, equivalent to approximately $47 million per year, whereas the welfare gains from conserving vultures equates to $30 million per year.
Matthew Lewis, Head of Conservation, Africa at BirdLife International, said: “The decline of vulture populations across the continent is indeed worrying. This groundbreaking study on the economic value of vultures in the Southern Africa region is crucial inadvancing conservation efforts. BirdLife and Partners will continue to collaborate with stakeholders in the region to turn the tide for vultures in Southern Africa.”
Leeroy Moyo, Preventing Extinctions Programme Manager at BirdLife Zimbabwe, said: “As BirdLife Zimbabwe, this report is intended to support policy advocacy for vulture conservation. It seeks to enhance awareness among local communities and stakeholders regarding vultures’ essential role in maintaining ecosystem health and promoting human well-being. By integrating these findings into national conservation strategies, we aim to continue mitigating threats such as poisoning, habitat loss, and illegal trade, thereby ensuring a sustainable future for vulture populations in Zimbabwe and the ecosystems they support.”
Mary Malasa, Programme Manager at BirdWatch Zambia, said: “It was particularly interesting to interact with local communities and gain firsthand insights into their perspectives while collecting this data. Quantifying vultures’ role as nature’s cleanup strengthens the case for their conservation. This valuation will serve as a tool not only to raise awareness but ensuring that the role of vultures in the ecosystem is appreciated.”
BirdLife and Partners hope that this study will be instrumental in promoting vulture conservation efforts in the Southern Africa region, through provision of critical information on the economic value of vultures and encourage improved efforts in Southern Africa through increased collaborations among governments, civil society, academia, and local communities.