Staff Reporter

THE Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom (UK) to collaborate on the regional software of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), which goals to revive landscapes.

The KAZA Secretariat was represented by its Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe, whereas the UK was represented by Giles Enticknap MBE, the UK’s High Commissioner to Botswana and Special Representative to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Bridget Siziba, the KAZA Secretariat’s Communication and Marketing Officer, outlined that the BLF is a £100 million UK Official Development Assistance initiative geared toward supporting creating nations in decreasing poverty and addressing local weather change via the conservation and restoration of nature.

“The BLF is funding activities until 2030 in six of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots to help create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. The BLF aims to restore landscapes and deliver their long-lasting protection through sustainable management practices, improving the quality of ecosystems and safeguarding biodiversity,” Siziba defined.

She additional defined that within the KAZA area, the BLF will work to create concord between individuals and nature by resolving land-use conflicts and re-establishing wildlife corridors to foster human-wildlife coexistence.

“The BLF will use evidence and learning generated by previous Defra-funded work, which scoped the potential support needed in the region, particularly concerning efforts to combat wildlife crime. It also seeks to cement connectivity gains by creating climate-resilient food systems and implementing agroecology initiatives, such as capacity building of smallholder farmers, conducting exchange visits between farmers, supporting farmers with input support and engagement with agro-dealers, and linking farmers to markets,” she added.