Niël Terblanché
By addressing critical challenges such as habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change, securing a partnership aimed at securing a sustainable future for both the region’s rich biodiversity and its human populations is vitally important.
In this regard, one of Southern Africa’s most extensive environmental conservation efforts, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) has secured a substantial financial commitment from the United Kingdom.
The KAZA Secretariat and the UK government formalised their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at implementing the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) within the KAZA region at Westminster House in Gaborone last week.
According to a joint statement issued by the secretariat and the UK government, the MoU signing followed its approval during the 14th KAZA TFCA Ministerial Meeting held on 17 October in Livingstone, Zambia.
Representing the UK was Giles Enticknap, the UK’s High Commissioner to Botswana and Special Representative to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The KAZA Secretariat was represented by its Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe.
The ceremony was attended by officials from Botswana’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate of the SADC Secretariat.
The BLF is a N$2 billion UK Official Development Assistance programme designed to assist developing countries in reducing poverty and addressing climate change through the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems.
The fund will be operational until 2030 and focuses on six of the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots, with the KAZA TFCA being a prominent beneficiary.
Within the KAZA region, the BLF aims to harmonise human activities with wildlife conservation by mitigating land-use conflicts and restoring wildlife corridors to promote human-wildlife coexistence.
The fund will build upon previous initiatives funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), particularly those targeting wildlife crime prevention.
Additionally, the BLF seeks to enhance climate resilience by developing sustainable food systems and promoting agroecological practices.
According to the statement, this includes capacity building for smallholder farmers, facilitating knowledge exchange, providing agricultural inputs, engaging with agro-dealers, and connecting farmers to markets.
The KAZA TFCA, established in 2011, is a collaborative conservation effort encompassing Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Spanning approximately 520 000 square kilometres, it is the world’s largest terrestrial transfrontier conservation area.
The region boasts unparalleled biodiversity, including the largest contiguous population of African savanna elephants, and supports extensive wildlife migrations.
The KAZA initiative is dedicated to preserving biodiversity, fostering tourism, and promoting sustainable economic development for its partner states and local communities.
Namibia plays a pivotal role in the KAZA TFCA, particularly through its Zambezi Region, which lies at the heart of the conservation area.
This region serves as a crucial corridor for wildlife migration, linking conservation areas across the five countries.
Namibia’s community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programmes have been instrumental in engaging local communities in conservation efforts, thereby enhancing ecological connectivity and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
The country’s commitment to transboundary conservation is exemplified by its active participation in initiatives such as the KAZA-wide coordinated aerial survey of elephants, aimed at informed decision-making for wildlife management.
According to the statement, access to the N$2 billion fund by way of the BLF will significantly strengthen KAZA’s conservation initiatives by addressing critical challenges such as habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change.
