How Africa can scale large-area conservation

From the newsletter

Africa’s conservation future depends on linking existing protected areas across boundaries, according to a new conservation guideline by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The guideline sets out strategies for  countries and conservationists in Africa to create and manage connected systems that sustain transboundary conservation in the continent.

• The publication titled Scaling Up Conservation in a Connected World, was launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

• The report warns that fragmented parks and isolated management models will not be enough to counter biodiversity loss.

More details

• Authored by members of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Large-Scale Conservation Area Task Force, the report explores how countries can move from isolated parks to large, connected systems that sustain biodiversity and build climate resilience. “Conservation must operate at scale across vast landscapes and seascapes through connected networks of protected areas,” said Dr Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN WCPA.

• The publication tackles practical questions facing governments and practitioners: How big is “big enough” to maintain ecological processes? How can scaling up connectivity help meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets? And what does effective large-scale conservation look like for nature and people, especially Indigenous Peoples and local communities?

• Drawing from 12 case studies across five continents, the paper identifies conditions that enable durable conservation: strong leadership, community participation, financial sustainability, and policy alignment. It uses Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and the Greater Virunga Landscape to explain how cross-border collaboration can protect ecosystems while supporting livelihoods. 

• The report notes that financial models must evolve to support permanence. It highlights mechanisms such as Project Finance for Permanence and Payments for Ecosystem Services as ways to build long-term resilience. These lessons align with Africa’s own experiments in biodiversity credits and landscape-level carbon projects.

• Inclusive governance also stands out as a shared lesson. “Sharing lessons from large-scale conservation areas helps us tackle common threats and protect biodiversity epicentres,” said Rili Djohani of the Coral Triangle Center. The report emphasises empowering communities, women and youth as central to durable outcomes.

• The IUCN report calls for African countries to strengthen institutional and technical capacity through partnerships and data systems. They should also formalise transboundary governance for shared ecosystems; and embed ecological connectivity into national biodiversity strategies and climate policies. These measures ensure durable, large-scale conservation systems that integrate environmental protection with sustainable development. 

Our take

• The continent saves more and earns more when ecosystems and economies are managed beyond lines on a map. Transboundary conservation areas show that shared parks mean shared profits. 

• Coordinated resource use cuts duplication and waste. By managing nature jointly, Africa reduces costs and boosts regional stability.