EU Backs New Conservation Project for Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
A new €2.5 million EU-funded conservation initiative for the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) was officially launched in Gaborone, Botswana, on 12 May 2026. Titled "Integrated Management for Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park," the 30-month project is funded under the EU's Global Gateway NaturAfrica initiative and implemented by African Parks in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the governments of Botswana and South Africa as key collaborators. Additional partial funding was provided by the Dezzy Foundation through the Global Wildlife Fund. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, established over 25 years ago, was the first Transfrontier Conservation Area in the SADC region and spans a vast arid ecosystem of red sand dunes, fossil riverbeds, and open savannahs across both countries.
The project focuses primarily on the Botswana section of the park and will target strengthened protected area management, improved infrastructure, and the development of individual management plans for four Wildlife Management Areas surrounding the park, as well as tourism and community development plans for the broader landscape. Central to the initiative is community resilience, with pathways being created for communities on the Botswana side to generate sustainable revenue from wildlife and tourism. The project will also support selected activities in the South African section, including engagement with the ǂKhomani San community. African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead described the initiative as an opportunity to work "shoulder to shoulder with government and local partners, strengthening park management, protecting its biodiversity, and ensuring it continues to deliver real benefits for people."
Source: African Parks
