Repository

Conservation / Tools

SADC, 15 December 2025

Biodiversity is a foundation for many cultures and livelihoods (Obura et al., 2023). The direct use of biodiversity has been estimated to support over a billion people globally and is a substantial part of local and global economies and markets (Obura et al., 2023). Economic estimates were that nature supports well over half of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while broader perspectives on the values of biodiversity contributions to people and their livelihoods was substantially higher (Obura et al., 2023). The majority of biological taxa have demonstrated multiple human uses, including native species enriching people’s physical and psychological experiences, including their religious and ceremonial lives (Barron et al., 2022). The recent global Report on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species showed that over 50,000 harvested native species of plants, animals, fungi, and algae were critical for the livelihood of people across the globe (Fromentin et al., 2022). Of these, an estimated 31,100 plant species were used directly by humans to meet the needs of billions of people, with these plants used as human food (5,538 species), for medicines, for social purposes (21,695 plants), as sources of fuel (1,621 species) and as raw materials (11,365 species) (Barron et al., 2022). The FAO had also previously reported 34,000 species, including fruit- and nut-trees and their wild relatives, that were used on a regular basis for a range of uses such as for logging, for environmental, social and scientific purposes and for food (Barron et al., 2022). Direct use of native plants was estimated to contribute to the survival and livelihoods of about 70% of the global poor (Barron et al., 2022). Fishing, terrestrial animal harvesting, logging, and nature-based tourism are also vital to regional and local employment and economies in many developing and developed countries, and further contribute to public infrastructure, development and provisioning of related ecological goods and services (Barron et al., 2022). Estimates suggested that globally, as many as 2,000 species of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are used for food and considered as wild meat (Barron et al., 2022). The top uses of aquatic animals were human food (bony fishes and crustaceans), specimen harvest, as pets and for display (i.e. fish) (Barron et al., 2022). Additional uses of the aquatic animals included handicrafts and jewellery and medicine (Barron et al., 2022).

Monitoring and Evaluation / Tools

SADC, 15 December 2025

The SADC TFCA Programme was revised in 2023. As part of this process, there was a participatory review process that took stock of the achievements of the previous programme cycle, consolidated the programmatic structure, and put forward a plan for the next decade. This process also spelled out priorities and identified risks and assumptions to the Programme. This process has laid the foundation for the development of a Programme-wide M&E framework, against which stakeholders will report progress, reflect on lessons learned, and adapt for continued implementation of the programme. The M&E Framework presented has been developed to measure, at a strategic level, the extent to which the Programme is taking steps towards its objectives. It is not intended to be a detailed tool to monitor dynamics within each specific TFCA, nor is it designed to carefully track programme implementation. Rather, it is a tool for learning and reflection on the overall trajectory of the Programme. It should give the Programme Unit, TFCA managers, and Member State representatives the tools needed to reflect on the strengths and shortcomings of the Programme, to allocate resources most effectively, and to adapt the programme design as needed, for greater effectiveness.

Tourism / Strategy and guides

SADC, 11 December 2025

This Approach is developed to provide coordination mechanisms and guidelines to the SADC Secretariat and Member States’ National Disaster Management Agency, National Tourism Administration (NTA), Destination Management/Marketing Organisation (DMO), and National Tourism Organisations (NTO) in managing disaster risks that affect the tourism sector. Further, there is articulated use of effective communications: to be alert of, plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters taking place in the respective and across Member States’ tourism sector; and their structural linkage to the SADC Secretariat. It is intended to develop an Approach that provides strategic direction in implementing risk reduction and risk-informed development measures and one that can swiftly be activated in instances of environmental; societal and political; health related; technological; economic; and other disasters affecting the tourism sector within the SADC region. While no single strategy can provide a guide for every disaster, this document provides a generic regional Tourism Disaster Risk Management and Crisis Communications approach. The SADC Member States are encouraged and expected to use this manual as a reference and guide for implementation and adjustment to the method of implementation accordingly. As each tourist destination is unique, it will have different issues to deal with which are pertinent within the tourism industry. There are some key areas of disaster risk management and certain shared concerns that are common across SADC Member States. The COVID-19 pandemic is a living example of such common concerns, due to its transboundary nature, and large scale social disruption and economic loss. This Approach draws on best practices from other regional tourism organizations including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); as well as those of international organizations, notably the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Further, experiences from the SADC Secretariat and UNDRR are drawn. While this is a SADC regional approach, its domestication, operationalization and implementation rests with Member States. Accordingly, this approach adopts the position that each government has overall responsibility for its tourist destinations and the entire disaster risk management issues in those tourist destinations. However, individual tourism operators and related businesses are also expected to take the initiative in developing disaster risk management practices to protect their businesses. The tourism businesses, together with the Member States’ NTA/ DMO/NTO have the responsibility to prevent and mitigate new risks, reduce the impact of existing risks, and increase resilience while reducing disaster losses

Governance / Policy documents

Zimbabwe Government, 3 December 2025

The Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2024 introduces significant changes to the Parks and Wildlife Act [Chapter 20:14] in Zimbabwe. Below is a summary of the key amendments: Definitions and Interpretations: New terms such as "captive wild animal," "consumptive tourism," "non-consumptive tourism," "wildlife professional," and "precautionary principle" are introduced. Definitions for terms like "animal," "alienated land," "appropriate authority," "fish," "plant," and "wildlife" are updated. Wildlife Conservation Principles: The Act emphasizes sustainable utilization, community participation, gender equality, adaptive management, and transboundary cooperation in wildlife conservation. Ownership of Wildlife: Clarifies ownership rules for wild animals, including provisions for exotic animals, specially protected animals, and animals on alienated land. ​ Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund: Establishes a fund to provide monetary relief to victims of human-wildlife conflict, funded by quotas, levies, and parliamentary appropriations. Wildlife Professionals Council: Creates a regulatory body to oversee wildlife professionals, enforce ethical codes, and maintain professional standards. ​ Donation of Wildlife: Introduces regulations for donating wildlife, including approval processes, assessments, and fees. ​ Trafficking in Wildlife: Criminalizes the illegal sale, purchase, import, or export of wildlife, trophies, or derivatives, with penalties for violations. ​ Animal Welfare: Establishes guidelines for humane treatment of wildlife and allows inspections to ensure compliance. ​ Problem Animals: Defines "problem animals" and outlines measures for their management, including translocation, euthanasia, and containment. Trapping of Animals: Repeals the Trapping of Animals Control Act and introduces new regulations for the classification, use, and control of traps, including penalties for violations. Quelea Control: Repeals the Quelea Control Act and introduces new provisions for managing quelea birds, including reporting, destruction, and control measures. Park Rangers: Defines roles and responsibilities for park rangers and honorary park rangers, including their powers, uniforms, and protection of Authority property. ​ Quotas and Hunting Regulations: Establishes rules for determining and allocating quotas for consumptive wildlife activities and penalties for overconsumption. ​ Land Donations and Conservancies: Allows private and communal landowners to donate or designate land as part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate or community conservancies. ​ Mining Restrictions: Restricts prospecting and mining activities in protected areas, requiring presidential and ministerial approval. ​ Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA): Provides a framework for establishing cross-border conservation areas with neighboring countries. ​ International Cooperation: Promotes collaboration with other countries and organizations for wildlife conservation and management. ​ Increased Penalties: Raises fines and imprisonment terms for various wildlife-related offences. ​ Repeals and Updates: Repeals outdated schedules and acts, including the Quelea Control Act and Trapping of Animals Control Act, and updates several schedules to reflect new boundaries and classifications. ​ Administrative Changes: Revises the composition and functions of the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Board, introduces virtual meetings, and updates procedures for appeals, permits, and regulations. The amendments aim to modernize wildlife conservation and management, enhance community involvement, address human-wildlife conflict, and strengthen penalties for illegal activities. ​

Community development / Tools

Christo Fabricius, Bianca Currie, Monicah Mbiba, Herbert Ntuli, 26 November 2025

The aim was to assess the long term financial, social and ecological viability of community-based enterprises, beyond tourism and hunting, and to develop decision support tools to enable their proactive evaluation.

Conservation / Policy documents

AU and Member States, 7 November 2025

On 2nd to 5th November the African Union and Government of Botswana convened the First African Biodiversity Summit and Conference of the Parties to the Maputo 2003 Convention on African Biodiversity in Gaborone. This is the Declaration agreed by the countries present.

Meeting Report / Meeting Report

Rabson Dhlodlho, Steve Collins, Rorly Sherwen, Salifou Siddo, Colum Zhuwau, 13 October 2025

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate is, through the support of the Joint Action NaturAfrica/Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management (C-NRM) Programme - a partnership programme between Southern African Development Community (SADC), the European Union (EU) and the German Government, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) organising National Dialogues aimed at raising awareness on the SADC TFCA programme and the various natural resources management and tourism related policies and frameworks that were recently approved by the joint committee of Ministers responsible for natural resources and tourism. The latest National Dialogue was organised for Madagascar from the 3rd to the 4th of September 2025 in Antananarivo.

Governance / Tools

Jenny Springer, Jessica Campese and Barbara Nakangu, 6 October 2025

Governance is a critical determinant of the social equity, effectiveness and sustainability of natural resource use and conservation. Improving natural resource governance, including securing rights and sharing power and responsibilities, benefits both people and nature. Despite this, governance remains relatively poorly understood and weakly addressed in many natural resource and conservation contexts. The Natural Resource Governance Framework (NRGF) is an IUCN knowledge product created to provide a robust, inclusive and credible approach to assessing and improving natural resource governance at multiple levels and in diverse contexts. This publication presents the NRGF as it has been developed to date through a robust and inclusive process involving IUCN experts, Members and partners.

Conservation / Strategy and guides

Detoeuf, D.; Wieland, M.; Cowles, P.; Wilkie, D., 6 October 2025

This second version incorporates: a) improved understanding of the power to govern and the addition of diversity as a sub-attribute of authority, b) updated data collection and data management methods using KoboToolBox on tablet computers, and c) revision of the survey instrument to use Likert scale responses. Each of these changes were informed by extensive field experience of implementing Version 1 of the Natural Resources Governance Tool (NRGT) in Central Africa and other locations around the world.

Climate Change / Strategy and guides

Risa B. Smith, Anouska Kinahan, Toni Lyn Morelli, Clarissa Samson, Shane Orchard, Megan Critchley, Ben Lucas, Zhilang Zhu, Neal Pastick, Aminur Rahman, Olga Laiza Kupika, Jon Day, Tim Healy, Sara Weiskopf, Maria Isabel Arce-Plata, Jaime Burbano-Girón, Kadambari Devarajan, Shannon Dickey, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Hamed Gholizadeh, Tobi A. Oke, Gretta Pecl, Darren J. Ranco, Annika Keely, Madeleine Ankenman, Thomas P. Mommsen., 2 October 2025

The World Commission on Protected Areas (WPCA) has long recognised the importance of biodiversity and climate change as dual crises that can only be effectively addressed by managing for both. It is this nexus that creates the imperative to include climate change mitigation into PCA management and policy – the subject of this technical report.