Southern African Development Community Transfrontier Conservation Guidelines: The Establishment and Development of TFCA Initiatives Between SADC Member States
Publisher: South Africa Development Community
Author(s): Kevin Zunckel
Date: 2014
Topics: Monitoring and Evaluation, Programming, Renewable Resources
Transfrontier Conservation and the establishment and development of Transfrontier Conservation Areas are recognised as a mechanism that is appropriate for delivery on a number of SADC Protocols that relate to the conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources. These Guidelines have been structured to provide substantiating discussion on the principles of sustainability as their point of departure. Thereafter they have been divided into three parts with the 1st Part providing background and contextual information; specifically definitions as a frame of reference, the benefits of TFCAs as a tool box for proponents to motivate for their particular initiatives, a brief review of the current situation with SADC TFCAs, and a synopsis of the legal and policy framework that supports TFCA establishment and development. The 2nd Part focuses on the processes that are necessary for the initiation of a TFCA process and speak specifically to pre- and feasibility assessments, and what is required to design an implementation process if it is seen to be a feasible opportunity. Lastly the 3rd Part is aimed at guiding the processes associated with the establishment and development of TFCAs and which are listed and discussed in a sequential order beginning with the process of obtaining buy-in from stakeholders, putting the appropriate governance model in place, firming up on the spatial aspects of the initiative (mapping), working towards a shared vision and a joint management plan, planning for financial sustainability, and lastly monitoring and evaluation.