The SADC region is rich in natural resources. Over 50 per cent of GDP in the Member States is earned from the primary sector (agriculture, mining and forestry) and most of the rural communities are directly dependent on natural resources to secure their livelihood. With its unique wildlife and natural beauty, the region attracts millions of tourists every year, providing direct and indirect income opportunities for many people.
However, natural ecosystems and their services are under increasing pressure from population growth, the expansion of farmland, growing demand for energy, infrastructure development and the impact of climate change. The deforestation rate in the SADC region is currently the highest in Africa. Poaching is on the rise again, even in conservation areas. Fires set to clear land frequently get out of control and emit large amounts of greenhouse gas.
Against this backdrop, the Member States established the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate in 2004. Policy documents, strategies and frameworks which address the degradation of natural resources – such as the Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement and the Protocol on Forestry – were developed and adopted by the Member States. Implementation of these agreements is key to ensuring the sustainable protection and use of the region’s abundant and diverse natural resources.
Objective
Regional and national actors improve the implementation of SADC protocols and strategies for sustainable natural resource management.
Approach
GIZ is contributing to the implementation of the following three programmes:
• Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA)
• Regional Cross-border Fire Management
• Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).
On the basis of pilot activities the project introduces innovative methods and concepts in selected TFCAs that address cross-border fire management, income generation through natural resource management and tourism, climate change adaptation and HIV/AIDS prevention. Training tailored to the specific needs is provided to back up all activities.
The project advises the SADC Secretariat on policy and concept development by drawing up and monitoring guidelines and standards, designing innovative financing mechanisms and identifying and disseminating best practices. At TFCA level it assesses and selects best practices in pilot projects on cross-border management and supports networking among TFCA practitioners to facilitate knowledge transfer. It also offers training and organisational consultancy in conjunction with SADC Centres of Excellence.
Results
A total of nine pilot projects are being implemented in eight TFCAs in the SADC region. Three of these focus on income generation, four on transboundary fire management and two on climate change adaptation. Guidelines on tourism concessions and cross-border fire management were developed in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat. These guidelines, which have been adapted to the needs of the region, will help in the implementation of future projects in the TFCAs.
In order to build up transboundary expertise in the SADC region, particularly at local level, individual course modules were devised on integrated fire management, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and climate change adaptation. 18 ‘change projects’ with 52 participants from the 18 existing TFCAs had been carried out by mid-November 2014. Six mobile training courses were also conducted on the ground in the TFCAs as a way of encouraging information-sharing through practical exercises in situ and minimising the logistical problems for participants.
The SADC-TFCA online network portal went live at the start of 2014 in coordination with the SADC Member States. Since then, over 160 members have registered and are using the platform as a source of technical information and a way of sharing notes on special issues. Members are also using it to stimulate discussion of the challenges currently facing the region, such as poaching, and to announce events such as the participation of SADC TFCAs in the 2014 World Parks Congress held in Sydney, Australia.