Why Africa needs multi-species conservation hubs

November 09, 2025

Dear subscriber, 

Conservation in Africa was long driven by charismatic leaders (Jane Goodall RIP) focusing attention on one "charismatic" species each. It made for great television and funding as well as science. But as African conservation undergoes democratisation, time to change the model?  

Treezer Michelle Atieno - Editor

The conservation sector is opting for highly specialised models for individual species. The latest species-specific hub is the world’s first Giraffe Research Facility, launched in South Africa and follows two other such initiatives this year for pangolins and corals. A regional multi-species hub model can, however, be a better option.

  • While specialisation drives excellence, Africa has over 1,100 threatened species. If every country and species develops its own centre, how many facilities will Africa need? And can conservation remain coherent? 

  • Established multi-species hubs such as the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in South Africa and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya already manage diverse species under shared logistics. 

  • Our take: Species-specific hubs show scientific ambition but could scatter expertise and strain conservation funding…Read more (2 min)

There is plenty of funding for conservation projects across the continent, though not enough. We tracked dozens of new initiatives in the past month, many of which support community livelihoods. The biggest addition is the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a global fund worth $125 billion, which received its first $1 billion from Brazil.

  • The fund was launched at the UN General Assembly in New York and will make annual payments to countries based on how well they preserve their forests.

  • Other funding last month includes a $12 million grant by TUI Care Foundation for a two year conservation technology project and a $1.6 million grant by IUCN for a community restoration project in Zanzibar.

  • Our take: The largest funding will rightly go to intact tropical forests supporting global carbon storage…Read more (2 min)

Uganda has received $31 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in recognition of verified emission reductions from forest conservation, the first such payment in Africa and the first for a “Least Developed Country”. The approval, made at the 43rd GCF Board meeting in South Korea strengthens the REDD+ results-based finance model.

  • The funds reward Uganda’s success in cutting more than 8 million tonnes of CO₂ between 2016 and 2017 through better forest management. That is equivalent to growing 133 million trees for a decade.  

  • Unlike traditional grants, results-based finance is released only when agreed targets are met. The approach shows that countries can earn from proven conservation outcomes.

  • Our take: REDD+ has struggled to prove its impact, but this verified payout gives it credibility…Read more (2 min)

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(Source: Fangs and feathers)

South African seabirds in danger as avian flu toll rises

Events

🗓️ Attend the Business of Conservation Conference 2025 (November 19)

🗓️ Join the Conference on Sustainable Agriculture in Tanzania (November 25)

🗓️ Be at the 7th United Nations Environment Assembly in Kenya (Dec 8)

Jobs

👷 Be the Director, West Africa Mangroves at Conservation International

👷 Join Peace Parks Foundation as a Conservation Officer(Mozambique)

👷 Be a Forestry Specialist at Preffered for Nature (Gabon)

Various 

🌳 Ghana turns to green bonds for conservation

🌳 Subaru partners with BirdLife to support bird conservation

🌳 South African parks increase fees to boost conservation

Seen on LinkedIn 

Ani Dasgupta, the CEO of World Resource Institute, says, “Artificial intelligence is transforming how we understand and protect the natural world. Responsible use of AI can empower communities everywhere to protect and restore the ecosystems we all depend on.”_________________