India, July 7 -- Africa's protected areas still follow a colonial-era model that separates people from nature, rooted in the 1933 London Convention and the Yellowstone template.

This system displaces communities, restricts ancestral land rights, isolates wildlife in fragmented habitats, weakens biodiversity.

Experts suggest redesigning laws so conservation supports local livelihoods and treats communities as partners, not threats.

Africa is home to many iconic national parks and marine reserves, such as Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niokolo-Koba in Senegal, Kruger National Park in South Africa and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Many of them were established during the colonial era, and nearly half are still man...