First regional conservation framework in Africa is being tried out

From the newsletter

In a landmark achievement, a ten-year regional plan to halt the rapid decline of vultures in Southern Africa has been launched. The SADC Vulture Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2025–2035) sets out measures to address mass poisoning, electrocution, collisions with energy infrastructure and widespread habitat loss. 

• It establishes four priorities: reducing threats, improving data and conservation measures, engaging stakeholders and ensuring effective implementation across borders. Delegates agreed the regional approach is critical to reversing mortality rates and restoring habitats.

• While transboundary approaches are common in conservation, what stands out here is the formal policy harmonisation under SADC’s framework. It brings SADC Member States under a single, coordinated framework with shared governance, timelines and a Steering Group.

More details

• The plan was endorsed at a workshop in Johannesburg that brought together SADC Member States and  conservation organisations. Domingos Gove, Director of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate at SADC, said: “The strategy is a milestone that highlights the urgency of our mission. Vultures are an important part of our ecosystem and their rapid decline is a silent alarm for the health of our environment.”

• The Strategy builds on the Convention on Migratory Species Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures. It is linked to the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas Programme, creating pathways for technical and financial support through regional partnerships. BirdLife International estimates that vultures provide ecosystem services in Southern Africa worth $1.8 billion per year. Their conservation has been identified as a regional priority requiring coordinated action across SADC’s 16 Member States.

• Formal policy harmonisation is essential for conservation in Africa. It tackles transboundary threats such as poaching and habitat loss. It helps countries share resources and manage ecosystems. It supports coordinated climate action and regional economic benefits. Aligning laws makes conservation stronger, fairer, and more sustainable for future generations.

• In Central Africa, the Convergence Plan of the Central African Forests Commission demonstrates how harmonised policies can guide countries sharing the Congo Basin to manage forests sustainably. It links national forest programmes to a common regional framework, ensuring consistency in legislation, monitoring, and enforcement. This model shows how policy convergence can overcome fragmented approaches.

• Harmonisation means progressive adjustments to address shared challenges while respecting national contexts. Through collective guidelines and technical standards, Central African countries have advanced towards coordinated forest governance. Their experience illustrates the value of structured policy alignment for biodiversity conservation, resource security, and regional stability.

Our take

• Clear governance is rare in conservation strategies and many biodiversity plans are aspirational. A regional working group and clear timelines reinforce accountability.

• These mechanisms offer a model that could transform regional biodiversity planning, where follow-through and measurable results have frequently been missing.