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Conservation International (CI) and Agence Francaise de Développement met in Lusaka, Zambia, to launch the fisheries component of the Pro-Nature Enterprises for the People of Southern Africa project. The €11.6 million regional project, which started in 2019, aims to restore and conserve 1 million hectares of biodiversity-rich habitats, and directly benefit 30,000 people in three critical Trans-frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The six-year project provides a range of incentives and support to rural communities in parts of the Kruger-Limpopo TFCA and Kavango-Zambezi TFCA to adopt sustainable practices that regenerate grass and water, reduce costly losses of wildlife and livestock and bring down high poverty rates.
The sustainable fisheries component of the project will support communities, government institutions and tourism operators in the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools TFCA to adopt sustainable fisheries co-management models. It includes a €5 million grant from AFD, €4 million co-finance from partners and a €2.6 million grant from the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM).
“Conservation International is a long standing partner of France and AFD. The Pronature project helps open a new chapter in our relationship”, said Ambassador of France to Zambia, François Goldblatt.
The sustainable fisheries component will provide vital lessons on how communities, government institutions and tourism operators can collaborate to ensure proper and inclusive management of shared fisheries resources in a trans-boundary context. Moreover, the project will support communities to initiate investable community-based, “nature-friendly” rural enterprises that can deliver environmental and social outcomes. This will include strengthening their partnerships with private sector and impact investors.
The fisheries component will be implemented in the Simalaha community (Zambia) and Chiawa community (Lower Zambezi-Mana pools in Zambia and Zimbabwe border). The field-implementing partner is Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ).
“As we all have a common interest in the long term and sustainable development of this area and a particular focus on an extremely sensitive industry such as fisheries, we appeal to all our partners to please stand together and join CLZ in our mantra of Working today to protect tomorrow,” said Anita Barret, Board Chair of Conservation Lower Zambezi.
Media Contacts:
- Erica Penfold, Regional Communications Manager (Southern Africa), Agence Française de Dévéloppement
- Ally Jamah, Regional Communications Manager, Conservation International, Africa Field Division | +254789252993