Botswana and South Africa have launched a new cross-border initiative aimed at strengthening conservation and community resilience across Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, one of southern Africa’s most important shared protected landscapes.
The 30-month project, titled Integrated Management for Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, is funded by the European Union through its NaturAfrica work in the Southern African Development Community region. African Parks is implementing the effort with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the two national governments.
Organizers say the project will build institutional capacity, improve day-to-day operational effectiveness and lay groundwork for more durable collaborative management. Community resilience is a central part of the design, reflecting the connection between conservation outcomes, local livelihoods and tourism opportunities around the park.
Kgalagadi spans Botswana and South Africa and was formally established as a transfrontier park in 2000. Managing wildlife, tourism and ecological pressures across an international boundary requires agencies on both sides to coordinate rather than treat the landscape as two isolated units.
A test for transboundary conservation
The project’s lasting value will depend on whether new capacity and local benefits continue beyond the funding period. Its launch provides an opportunity to connect biodiversity protection with community participation and more stable regional cooperation.
Sources: African Parks and Botswana Daily News.
Featured image: Mabuasehube area of Kgalagadi, by NeilMoll. CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication. License and source.
