Wallace Ruzvidzo
ZIMBABWE will this week host the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) International Conference and Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will be led by the regional bloc’s chairperson, President Mnangagwa, a senior Government official has said.
The summit, which will run from May 19 to 23, also marks 25 years of regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and ecotourism.
Invitations have already been extended to all Heads of State and Government in the regional body ahead of the indaba, which will be preceded by the SADC Council of Ministers meeting, chaired by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira.
The theme for this year’s summit is “Transfrontier Conservation Areas — 25 years of cooperation for regional integration and sustainable development”.
Preparatory works for the successful hosting of the five-day event have been completed.
“Zimbabwe is hosting the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) International Conference and Summit of Heads of State and Government …
“There will be talk about the transfrontier conservation areas in the region, which will then be followed by the summit,” he said.
The Summit of Heads of State and Government is expected to convene on Friday.
TFCAs, such as the Kavango-Zambezi and Greater Limpopo, facilitate wildlife movement, boost tourism and support local communities through initiatives like Zimbabwe’s CAMPFIRE programme.
The conference will focus on sustainable resource management, disaster risk reduction and adopting new agreements to expand TFCAs.
Supported by various international organisations, including the European Union and Germany, the summit underscores the importance of regional integration and ecological resilience in Southern Africa.
A TFCA is defined in the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement (1999) as a component of a large ecological region that straddles the boundaries of two or more countries, encompassing one or more protected areas, as well as multiple resource use areas.
TFCAs are founded with the aim of collaboratively managing shared natural and cultural resources across international boundaries for improved biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development.
The United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature list all conservation areas worldwide.
In 2007, UNEP-WCMC published a list of 227 transfrontier conservation areas across the globe covering over 4,6 million square kilometres.
There are 18 existing or potential TFCAs covering over 700 km in the SADC region in both terrestrial and marine environments.
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