Tackling conservation challenges across borders in Southern Africa: Conservation is no longer a local issue. It’s a global responsibility and the time to act is now. This week, at the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) International Conference and Summit in Harare, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, Director General of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), outline some of the most pressing challenges facing our region’s shared natural heritage. From climate change to human-wildlife conflict and funding constraints, the threats to Transfrontier Parks are complex and growing. “Changing climate then brings in a lot of these other issues to do with droughts, hurricanes which is more now.” "Southern Africa is the largest population, a concentration of elephants. So what does that mean? It means that the space is competing, we are competing humans and animals for space which is a negative impact. One of the most powerful messages was around transboundary collaboration. Zimbabwe alone is part of 60 transfrontier conservation areas, which allow for species migration, joint anti-poaching initiatives, and shared ecosystem management. But this vision cannot be realized without international financial support, capacity building, and strong partnerships. “As much as our governments are doing so much, there are still gaps that we see in terms of financing. Hence the international partners come and play and close that gap to some extent which is quite commendable,” Prof. Gandiwa said. #conservation #sustainability #climatechange #wildlife #funding #tfca #zimbabwe #sadc #biodiversity #partnerships #africa