On 5th November 2024, the KAZA Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom (UK) at Westminster House in Gaborone to cooperate towards the regional application of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF).
The signing followed the approval of the MoU by the 14th KAZA TFCA Ministerial Meeting held on 17th October in Livingstone, Zambia.
The UK was represented by His Excellency Giles Enticknap MBE, UK’s High Commissioner to Botswana and Special Representative to SADC, and the KAZA Secretariat was represented by Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe.
The signing ceremony was attended by representatives from Botswana’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.
The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) is a £100 million UK Official Development Assistance programme that aims to support developing countries to reduce poverty and tackle and adapt to climate change through protecting and restoring nature. The BLF is funding activities until 2030 in six of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots to help create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. The BLF aims to restore landscapes and deliver their long-lasting protection through sustainable management practices, improving the quality of ecosystems and safeguarding biodiversity.
In KAZA, the BLF will aim to create space for people and nature by deconflicting land use and restoring wildlife corridors to promote human-wildlife co-existence. The BLF will use evidence and learning generated by previous Defra-funded work, which scoped the potential support needed in the region, particularly concerning efforts to combat wildlife crime. It also seeks to cement connectivity gains by creating climate-resilient food systems and implementing agroecology initiatives, such as capacity building of smallholder farmers, conducting exchange visits between farmers, supporting farmers with input support and engagement with agro-dealers, and linking farmers to markets.
About the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area
The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) is a vast, unique conservation initiative spanning five Southern African nations: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Established in 2011 through a multinational treaty, KAZA is the largest terrestrial trans frontier conservation area in the world, covering approximately 520,000 square kilometres. It is home to an exceptional array of biodiversity, featuring the largest contiguous population of African savanna elephants, and supports large-scale wildlife migrations. KAZA TFCA is committed to fostering biodiversity conservation, promoting tourism, and supporting sustainable economic development for the Partner States and local communities.
For further details, please contact:
Bridget Siziba
Communication and Marketing Officer
KAZA Secretariat
Tel: +263 77 358 6807
Email: bsiziba@kavangozambezi.org
Web: www.uncoverkaza.com/
