Despite the numerous benefits that Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) provide, they are critically underfunded, leaving them vulnerable to degradation, encroachment, and conversion. In Africa, these areas are managed by an average of $50 per square kilometer, far below the $1,000 per square kilometer needed to sustain biodiversity.  

APAD is dedicated to establishing innovative financing mechanisms for Africa’s PCAs to ensure their significant contribution to global climate and biodiversity goals. An outstanding example is the launch of A Pan-African Conservation Trust (APACT) by APAD at the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) in July 2022– aimed at addressing the evident funding gaps for Africa’s over 8,600 PCAs.  

The A-PACT initiative received support from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and other esteemed organizations. It is an ambitious $200 billion trust fund plan that stands as an independent, African-led, hybrid sustainable financing mechanism for PCAs. Its primary aim is to empower PCA managers across the continent by equipping them with the resources necessary to effectively manage these critical areas.

Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) confront a range of challenges that take different forms and have varying intensities. To successfully tackle these challenges, transboundary cooperation is key, i.e., the conservation and management of shared ecosystems, which promotes biodiversity and contributes to socio-economic development for both entities.  

Cooperation mechanisms within and across borders are essential for fostering a more holistic approach to sustainable conservation and effective management of Africa’s PCAs.  APAD is keen on capacity-building protected areas directors to understand that conservation planning cannot just be site-specific but has to be at broader scales.  

APAD is further committed to fostering peer learning through documentation of country-specific case studies, capacity building on integrated landscape management and developing joint initiatives around transboundary areas that address shared challenges, such as the impacts of climate change.  

By empowering protected areas directors with the tools to navigate the complexities of transboundary issues at national and regional levels, APAD contributes significantly to the conservation and sustainability of ecosystems across Africa.

Climate change and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources are causing significant environmental shifts such as biodiversity loss, global warming and extreme weather events; which, in turn, heighten the vulnerability of both people and ecosystems. 

APAD is committed to facilitating enhanced efforts towards disaster preparedness of Africa’s Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs), as they serve as invaluable natural solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. This endeavor involves fostering meaningful dialogues and engaging key stakeholders associated with the stewardship of PCAs, including thought leaders, youth, civil society organizations, development partners, non-governmental organizations, as well as indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). 

The prioritization of interventions aimed at enhancing climate resilience and disaster preparedness for PCAs is more essential than ever, given that the unsustainable management of natural resources is not only  worsening  the state of PCAs, but also diminishing tourism revenue, and jeopardizing livelihoods of local communities