Victoria Falls hosts second Africa Protected Area Directors (APAD) Conference 2024

WILDLIFE and wildlands conservation experts and development partners are meeting in Victoria Falls for the second Africa Protected Area Directors (APAD) Conference 2024 to address pressing conservation challenges facing the continent’s wildlife and wild lands.

Zimbabwe is hosting the event which is being sponsored by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

The event started on Tuesday and will on Friday as participants drawn from across Africa seek to find common ground and speak with one voice on wildlife conservation.

In attendance are mostly directors of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) from across Africa including the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Since its inception in 2020, with support from AWF, APAD has catalysed collaboration, knowledge sharing, and joint initiatives among protected area directors, amplifying African voices and leadership in conservation.

The Protected Areas are important to integrated landscape management, livelihoods, and climate change.

Africa has more than 8 800 officially designated terrestrial protected areas.

Globally protected areas store at least 12 percent of land-based carbon stocks and can reverse damage caused by fossil fuels.

Zimbabwe has significantly expanded its protected areas coverage from 13.8 percent of land in 2000 to 28 percent in 2020.

The conference is focused on three key themes namely: securing sustainable funding, adapting to climate change, and fortifying collaboration among conservation leaders guided by the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2021.

Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife and Zimparks is hosting the event.

The 2024 APAD conference epitomizes the network’s commitment to collaboration, uniting APADs, key stakeholders, and partners in a concerted effort to forge a sustainable future for Africa’s conservation landscape.

APAD equips these directors with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the complex web of transboundary challenges.

By fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange, APAD ensures that no obstacle is insurmountable in pursuing conservation goals.

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is the primary advocate for the protection of wildlife and wild lands as an essential part of a modern and prosperous Africa.

It was founded in 1961 to focus on Africa’s conservation needs, articulating a uniquely African vision, bridge science, and public policy, and demonstrate the benefits of conservation to ensure the survival of the continent’s wildlife and their habitats.