Renewed Commitment From SADC to Transfrontier Network

International delegates and conservationists descended on Johannesburg recently for the highly anticipated CITES CoP17 meeting. During a special meeting there was renewed affirmation from the Southern African Development Corporation (SADC) towards regional integration through the establishment and development of Transfrontier Conservation Conservation Areas (TFCAs) across the region.

The various SADC Ministers of Environment present at the event reaffirmed the importance and relevance of TFCAs for regional integration and their commitment to TFCA development by signing a map showing all of the 18 TFCAs in the SADC region.

The South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa reiterated that the establishment of TFCAs “as a means of jointly managing natural resources across political boundaries has rightly been described as one of Africa’s greatest success stories.”

The TFCA Network Newsletter was also launched during the same time on the newly developed SADC TFCA website.

The SADC TFCA Website (www.tfcaportal.org) is a comprehensive resource for practitioners and the general public alike on TFCA facts, figures and news. The portal provides  a wide range of TFCA relevant information. TFCA Practitioners, partners, researchers, decision makers and communities can from now on contribute to share their experiences and seek information on the experiences of others related to TFCA development. The TFCA Portal opens an opportunity for the general public to take a virtual  tour into all 18 TFCAs of the region offering information and tools on TFCA management, nature, culture, communities, as well as tourism related news and activities.

Source/pictures: SADC TFCA Network; www.tfcaportal.org