Members of the SADC region have been urged to take advantage of the Transfrontier Conservations Areas (TFCA) network annual meeting to engage and come up with impactful actions that will contribute to the long term conservation and sustainable development of Southern Africa.
The plea was made by Zimbabwe’s TFCA Coordinator and SADC Chairmanship Representative, Nothando Moyo when officially opening another edition of the meeting held in Kasane this week.
According to Moyo, the meeting gives SADC members an opportunity to learn from each other, share knowledge and experiences about the TFCAs and come up with innovative ways off addressing challenges faced by the region in as far as the implementation of the TFCA program is concerned.
Moyo noted that the meeting signifies their collective commitment to conservation and sustainable management of shared natural and cultural resources across the SADC. She stated that the SADC TFCA program play a crucial role in promoting biodiversity conservation, fostering regional cooperation and enhancing sustainable development in the SADC region.
‘‘It is collaborative efforts and shared responsibilities that we effectively address the common challenges facing our ecosystems, lets remain committed in advancing the objectives of the TFCA network,’’ she said.
Moyo further expressed that the objectives of the network can only be achieved if they put together solidarity, indicating that together they can conserve shared natural and cultural resources for the generations to come and create more sustainable future for everyone.
For her part, European Union Delegation to Botswana and SADC Green Transition and Climate Change Programme Manager Filipa Corte Real said that they have already kicked-started their official support to the SADC TFCA programme in April this year. This she said is through the EU’s NaturAFrica Team Europe Initiative.
Corte Real noted that through the initiative, the EU will provide support in the restoration, protection and sustainable management of a network of transboundary landscapes which are biodiversity hotspots in the SADC region. She added the support will in return also create decent income and jobs for the local population who live in and around the protected areas.
“The NaturAFrica initiative has a budget of EUR 155 million (2021-2024) targeting 6 key mega landscapes in Africa. In Southern Africa, we have earmarked EUR 33 million to support the sustainable management of a number of TFCAs, for the benefits of people and nature, fully aligned with the objectives of the SADC TFCA Programme,’ ’she said.
According to Corte Real, the programme will target six TFCAs (KAZA, Kgalagadi TFP, ZIMOZA, MAZA, Chimanimani, and Greater Limpopo). She expressed that in a second phase (after 2024) the support will be expanded either towards other TFCAs or through consolidation of the support ongoing in the existing ones.
‘‘NaturAFrica in the Southern Africa region will be implemented through different mechanisms, this regional programme will also complement all the efforts done by other EU Global and bilateral programmes in SADC countries, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe to name only a few and those of other international cooperating partners,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) and the Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) Secretariat have during the meeting signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that signified the convergence of two critical domains: sustainable management and biodiversity conservation.
The MOU addresses several challenges that include competing demands for water, environmental degradation and governance gaps by fostering synergies between ZAMCOM and the TFCA Secretariat. One of the economic benefits of the MOU includes integration of water and conservation to unlock ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy opportunities, enhancing livelihoods while preserving resources for future generations.
