Addressing biodiversity loss: African countries urged to develop conservation models amidst rapid economic growth

AFRICAN countries should come up with environmental conservation models that have the capacity to reverse biodiversity loss likely to be caused by rapid economic growth in the continent.

According to the African Development Bank, Africa dominates the list of the world’s 20 fastest growing economies in 2024.

Speaking at the 2nd African Protected Areas Directors Conference 2024 in Victoria Falls, chair of World Commission on Protected Areas at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ms Madhu Rao said acceleration in economic activity will most certainly be accompanied by rapid expansion in linear and energy infrastructure leading to fragmentation, degradation and loss of already threatened ecosystems.

The IUCN brings together Governments, conservation organisations and a wide range of state and non-state actors in a global partnership for conservation.

Ms Rao said Africa needs to prepare for the impacts of economic growth.

“We can expect an escalation in the drivers causing biodiversity loss, placing huge pressures on nature over the next few years up to 2030 and beyond. We have made good progress in conservation with excellent innovation and promising conservation models already emerging here in Africa. We need to strengthen rights-based approaches, leverage political support and financial resources for conservation reversing biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems is critically important for our common future,” she said.

She said the conference is an important opportunity for us to collectively build momentum toward a bold commitment to the recovery of nature.

She called for the recovery of nature to sustain human economies and well-being.

Domestic funding accounts for the majority share of funding for protected areas

Ms Rao said additional funding sources including from green financial instruments need to be leveraged to augment domestic budgets as African nations prepare to implement ambitious global biodiversity and climate targets.

The meeting started on Tuesday and ends on Friday.