Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Government has intensified efforts to secure sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation, with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority calling for coordinated investment approaches at the ongoing Zimbabwe Funders’ Roundtable on Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Victoria Falls.
The three-day indaba, which started on Tuesday, has drawn more than 80 conservationists, policymakers, development partners and funders to deliberate on long-term financing mechanisms for biodiversity protection and sustainable development.
The meeting was convened by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife in partnership with ZimParks and the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat, with financial and technical support from Campaign for Nature and KfW.
In a statement, ZimParks said the roundtable was focusing on innovative financing mechanisms capable of sustaining Zimbabwe’s biodiversity priorities beyond short-term donor-funded projects.
“Delegates will explore innovative financing mechanisms that can support Zimbabwe’s nature and biodiversity priorities beyond short-term, project-based cycles,” said ZimParks.
The authority said the discussions would also map existing investments and financing flows across priority conservation landscapes while identifying institutional and financial gaps affecting biodiversity protection efforts.
ZimParks said the engagement sought to identify possible funding sources and financing models to support shared national conservation priorities and promote coordinated investment approaches among development partners.
The authority noted that early alignment among funders was critical in reducing fragmented or duplicative initiatives in the conservation sector.
Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to preserve ecosystems and wildlife habitats amid increasing climate change-induced challenges and pressure on natural resources.
The country is part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, one of Africa’s largest conservation landscapes spanning Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
