Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) has moved to strengthen national ownership and support for the implementation of transboundary conservation and sustainable natural resource management initiatives among member states.
At a two-day National Dialogue on Raising Awareness of the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Programme (2023–2033) and Natural Resources Management Frameworks conference that ended yesterday in Maputo, Mozambique, the bloc’s Secretariat called on the implementation of a more coordinated approach to implementing TFCAs at the national level.
Transfrontier boundaries are ecological and conservation regions that cross the international borders of two or more countries and also merge separate national parks or reserves into single, jointly managed ecosystems to protect nature and wildlife.
Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Land and Environment, Mr Gustavo Dgedge, said the implementation of TFCAs also needed a better-informed and multi-sectoral approach strengthened by regional cooperation objectives.
The meeting further underscored that TFCAs extend beyond biodiversity conservation while encompassing governance, cooperation, and the equitable sharing of benefits among participating stakeholders.
Further discussions centered on the importance of strengthening Mozambique’s blue economy and leveraging the opportunities presented by its extensive coastline in the context of its roadmap to 2030.
Zimbabwe participates in several TFCAs spanning international borders to protect shared ecosystems, wildlife corridors, and natural resources, among them the Kavango–Zambezi (KAZA), which is the world’s largest transboundary conservation landscape.
It covers parts of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Other stakeholders at the Maputo meeting included the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM), Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
