APAD commits to conserve wildlife

THE African Protected Area Directorate (APAD) has been described as critical and a great milestone towards sustainable wildlife conservation.

APAD brings together boards of directors of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) across Africa to deliberate on the pressing conservation challenges facing the continent’s wildlife.

It was established in 2020 with support from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

According to Frederick Kwame Kumah, AWF’s Global Leadership vice-president, APAD seeks to amplify African voices and leadership in conservation.

“APAD provides a platform for leaders to share experiences, learn from one another, and collectively address critical issues,” Kumah said during APADs ongoing conference in Victoria Falls.

APAD’s 2021 Nairobi Declaration marked a significant milestone for the organisation, cementing the network’s purpose and garnering government support for its objectives.

The declaration, among other things, sought to “collaboratively strengthen Africa’s networks of protected and conserved areas as foundational to the development aspirations set out in Agenda 2063 ... (and) to ensure sufficient and sustained resourcing for all of Africa’s protected and conserved areas”.

Since inception, APAD has convened quarterly meetings, conducted surveys on COVID-19’s impact and PCA financing, and actively participated in various forums like the Africa Climate Summit and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).

In June 2023, AWF and APAD embarked on their maiden project, funded by the German Federal Government under the International Climate Protection Initiative, one of Germany’s most important instruments for international climate protection and biodiversity financing.

The project underscored the vital role of PCAs in achieving global conservation targets while promoting collaboration with indigenous communities and youth.