SCF's Conservation Approach

SCF believes that to succeed conservation must be of tangible benefit to people and within their power to implement. Conservation must meet human aspirations, be they spiritual, aesthetic or more down-to-earth, such as the need for food, natural resources, a source of education and research, or revenue from consumptive and non-consumptive uses.

For nomadic peoples, especially, the continued existence of healthy populations of plants and animals is an integral part of their finely-balanced livelihoods. Desert-living antelopes and gazelles are highly productive on rangelands which are virtually useless to livestock on a permanent basis. Unlike its domestic counterparts, wildlife can survive without drinking water, obtaining all the moisture it needs from the plants it eats. Restoring healthy wildlife populations has major ecological benefits whilst contributing to the diversification and strengthening of pastoral economies.

Wildlife plays a key role in combating desertification and habitat loss through maintaining the health and productivity of grasslands and the germination and dispersion of many plants. Unlike domestic livestock, wildlife rarely if ever destroys its environment through overgrazing, trampling of plants or compaction of fragile soils.








In a world where tourism is a growing rapidly, deserts have significant potential with unparalleled scenic grandeur and cultural diversity. SCF strives to ensure the world’s deserts are indeed ‘living deserts’, with a rich mix of wild plants and animals and that through tourism, local people can access and benefit from the potential it represents.

As tourism grows, so does the need to manage the impact on desert wildlife, fragile habitats and archaeological treasures, such as rock art and stone-age sites. Working with tourists and tour operators, a desert travel code can be developed to ensure wildlife is not harassed by over-zealous photographers, garbage is disposed of properly, firewood used sparingly, and the Sahara’s cultural riches do not disappear one by one in the growing number of pockets and backpacks.

With so many Saharan species teetering on the brink of extinction, however, the benefits and value they can bring to all our lives will never be realized unless we take action now to reverse the trends that have already brought extinction in the wild to one species, the magnificent scimitar-horned oryx, and threaten the survival of so many others.