Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a regional intergovernmental organization with its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana and comprising sixteen Partner States – Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Natural resources are vitally important to the economy of the region and to its growth. SADC and its Member States recognise the importance of improved use and stewardship of natural resources to ensure sustainable development and growth into the future. Important natural resources include forests, water, wildlife (aquatic, terrestrial and marine species) and minerals. To help protect these resources and foster regional cooperation, protocols and initiatives such as the development of TFCAs, have been spearheaded by SADC.

Under the Protocol of Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, the 2013 SADC Programme for Transfrontier Conservation Areas defines its mission as developing SADC into a functional and integrated network of transfrontier conservation areas where shared natural resources are sustainably co-managed and conserved to foster socioeconomic development, and regional integration for the benefit of those living within and around TFCAs and mankind at large. The harmonization of policies and legislation in order to effectively manage these transfrontier conservation areas is a recognized part of SADC TFCA Programme. Read More