AU-backed plan targets cross-border conservation
African policymakers and partners have advanced a continent-wide Biodiversity for Resilience (B4R) Programme at a four‑day workshop in Maun, Botswana. Convened by the African Union Commission with UNDP and UNEP, the initiative aims to strengthen transboundary ecosystem connectivity across ten priority landscapes, pursuing a 10 – 10 – 10 vision of ten landscapes, ten million hectares under conservation and ten million direct beneficiaries over ten years. The move seeks to replace fragmented projects with an integrated strategy aligned to global biodiversity frameworks, underpinning nature-based tourism and regional cooperation.
Participants agreed programme architecture and outputs including landscape design sheets, a theory of change, stakeholder engagement plans and financing options such as blended finance and nature‑positive value chains. UNDP highlighted transboundary areas as platforms for cooperation and peace, while Botswana shared TFCA experience. Next steps include political endorsement and preparation for engagement with the Global Environment Facility’s next cycle from July 2026 – a trajectory expected to support sustainable tourism by safeguarding shared ecosystems like the Okavango Delta and improving community benefits.
Source: The Independent
