Cross-Border Conservation Initiative Strengthens Wildlife Protection

A new international conservation programme is helping strengthen wildlife protection, ecosystem resilience and sustainable development across one of southern Africa’s most important transboundary landscapes.

“The Kgalagadi is not just a biodiversity hotspot – it is a shared heritage that demands shared responsibility,” said Petra Pereyra, European Union Ambassador to Botswana and SADC.

The 30-month initiative will support the long-term management of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a vast protected area jointly managed by Botswana and South Africa. Funded through a €2.5 million investment from the European Union and implemented by African Parks and the International Union for Conservation of Nature in partnership with both governments, the project will enhance biodiversity conservation, improve protected area management and strengthen community resilience. Early priorities include developing plans for wildlife management, tourism, and community development to generate sustainable income from conservation and tourism. Established more than 25 years ago as the first transfrontier conservation area in the Southern African Development Community, the park protects one of the region’s most intact desert ecosystems. It provides critical habitat connectivity for wildlife while supporting the livelihoods of neighbouring communities.