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- Exploring cross-border conservation
Exploring cross-border conservation
 | A 74,000-hectare ecosystem around Mount Elgon in Kenya and Uganda will become a Transboundary Biosphere Reserve under a deal signed by the two countries’ governments. This is to enhance protection and sustainable management, including the reinforcement of conservation efforts for the water tower. |
Transboundary conservation is becoming increasingly common where countries share natural resources. They collaborate to manage them wisely, benefiting all parties involved. The approach has proven effective in improving conservation including in the Zambezi Basin.
Research released in September 2023 identified 8,481 potential transboundary conservation areas, covering nearly 2,000,000 km².
Our take: Africa’s colonial-era borders are often ill-drawn. A much greater effort is needed to make them permeable to ensure the protection of wildlife…Read more (2 min)
 | The most recent round of conservation funding in Africa is prioritising community involvement and investment in nature-based solutions. A notable example is the $180 million guarantee provided to Koko Networks, which supports forest conservation and protects against losses in carbon trading involving local communities. |
Additionally, Malawi secured $200,000 for community-driven conservation. The Climate Investment Funds allocated $96 million for nature conservation in Kenya and the Zambezi Region, with $15 million specifically designated for indigenous and local communities across six countries.
Most conservation funds have been directed towards seven African countries with limited cross-organisation funding, and the majority have come from international donors.
Our take: The focus on community-focused initiatives is not surprising. They have become ever more prominent recently. But the real proof will lie in making them work, which has proven tricky in the past…Read more (2 min)
 | African governments are accelerating the linking of conservation policies and climate action. The African Rhino Conservation Framework, incorporates community rights and ecological sustainability to safeguard rhinos. Meanwhile, the African Penguin Conservation Policy establishes no-fishing zones to protect endangered penguins. |
The Scaling-up Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Resilience policy in Tanzania has allocated $60 million to conserve forests and enhance climate resilience.
Notably, the African Penguin Conservation Policy is the first in Africa to be established through a court order. On 18 March 2025, South Africa’s High Court ruled in favour of BirdLife South Africa and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), mandating 10-year no-fishing zones around six critical penguin breeding colonies.
Our take: The African Penguin Conservation Policy, which has been court-ordered, exemplifies the impactful role of legal action in conservation efforts…Read more (2 min)
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Conservation technology has been present in Africa for decades. By 2014, handheld computers known as CyberTrackers were already in use for collecting and analysing wildlife data at the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve.
Events
🗓️ Register for the Regional Roundtable Africa & Middle East in Morocco (May 6)
🗓️ Attend the International Conference on Wildlife and Conservation in South Africa (April 10)
Jobs
🌳 Be a Conservation Coordinator at Mikoko Development Foundation (Tanzania)
👷 Become Africa's Director for Conservation Impact at WWF International (Kenya)
👷 Apply to be the Gabon Country Director at The Nature Conservancy (Gabon)
Seen on LinkedIn
Yemi Katerere, a conservation specialist at African CSOs Biodiversity Alliance , says, “A bottom-up and rights-based approach in conservation can only be possible if funds reach those directly involved in biodiversity conservation at the local level, especially the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities”
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