By Wallace Mawire
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Kavango-Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat today celebrated their shared commitment to connected landscapes where wildlife and people can thrive.
The occasion brought together Botswana’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism Deputy Permanent Secretary Mr Charles Kabo Mojalemotho, IFAW President and CEO Azzedine Downes, KAZA TFCA Secretariat Executive Director Dr Nyambe Nyambe and senior officials in the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP).
Spanning Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, KAZA covers approximately 520,000 square kilometres and supports around 228,000 elephants. Its vision of connecting wildlife habitats while supporting communities closely aligns with IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative.
“An elephant moving between Botswana and Zimbabwe does not recognise the border between the two countries. Neither should our conservation efforts,” said Downes.
“Protecting wildlife is inseparable from protecting the people who live alongside it. That is how we turn a shared vision into lasting impact.”
IFAW’s longstanding partnership with ZimParks in Zimbabwe’s Hwange landscape demonstrates this approach through investments in wildlife protection, habitat connectivity, elephant monitoring, community coexistence and conservation education.
These efforts are relevant to the Hwange-Kazuma-Chobe Wildlife Dispersal Area, where wildlife movement across borders brings both conservation opportunities and challenges for communities.
“KAZA is built on the understanding that effective conservation requires collaboration across boundaries. Our wildlife moves across countries, protected areas and community lands, and our management response must be equally connected,” said Dr Nyambe.
As part of the celebration, IFAW donated two vehicles to strengthen wildlife management and human-wildlife conflict response in Botswana’s Chobe District, improving access to remote communities and conservation areas.
And in receiving the vehicles, Mr Charles Kabo Mojalemotho reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening wildlife management and supporting communities living alongside wildlife.
“These vehicles will support the challenges faced by communities and strengthen our capacity to ensure that wildlife populations are effectively managed, leading to a more sustainable approach to wildlife management and coexistence. This complements the Government’s efforts towards the approved Communities Livelihoods Act and will help in implementing the human wildlife coexistence strategy.
The collaboration reinforces a shared ambition to secure connected, climate-resilient landscapes through strong institutions, community participation and sustained regional cooperation.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and people working across seas and oceans in over 40 countries daily. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals and restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org.
The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), spanning approximately 520,000 km², is a partnership of the Governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Located within the Okavango and Zambezi River basins, it is an official Southern African Development Community (SADC) programme promoting regional cooperation in transboundary conservation, sustainable development and tourism.
Room to Roam is IFAW’s landscape conservation initiative to secure and connect habitats for elephants and other wildlife across East and southern Africa. Built on more than 20 years of science and community engagement, it seeks to create connected, climate-resilient landscapes where animals and people can thrive together.