Peace Parks Foundation

The concept of peace parks is a global one, tracing back to the 1930s when Canada and the United States of America created the ambitious Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The idea of TFCAs remain a compelling concept and conclusive evidence has shown that transboundary habitats flourish more than disconnected habitats, as these areas accommodate gene pools, wildlife movement and migration, water flow and the propagation of plant species. This also creates opportunities for regional economic development and shared conservation of biodiversity and promote regional peace and stability by demonstrating the benefits of cooperation.

One of the greatest barriers to the protection of cross-border ecosystems, is the lack of sufficient resources with which to successfully implement the plans and visions of those who commit themselves to the pursuit. This includes a lack of expertise in the field of conservation and nature-based economies, as well as a lack of funds to execute actions and address shortcomings.

Peace Parks assist the TFCA partner countries in identifying key projects, designing project plans and in securing the necessary funds required to implement the project. By so doing, Peace Parks engages with governments to secure protected land, and channel investment into development of transboundary conservation areas. Most of these areas suffer from devastated ecosystems and depleted wildlife, because the ravages of war and excessive commercial exploitation of these natural resources. The organisation plans and implements innovative strategies that revitalise habitat integrity, restore ecological functionality, and protect biodiversity. This includes translocating thousands of animals each year to rewild previously decimated wilderness areas, as well as investing significant resources into the reduction of wildlife crime.

The Foundation develops nature-based tourism and enterprise opportunities to ensure the long-term sustainability of protected areas. At the same time, it focusses on communities living in and around these wild spaces, capacitating them in the sustainable use of natural resources and unlocking opportunities for them to derive equitable benefits from conservation.

Peace Parks’ support also includes capacity building through the appointment of key role players such as technical advisors, park and project managers, and even rangers. Peace Parks will often act as project implementation agent for the TFCA partner countries to take the role in matters such as contractual project execution and operations.

• Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a 35 000 km² park that links the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.
• Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area, with four transfrontier conservation areas between Mozambique, South Africa and Eswatini, covering a total area of 10 029 km².
• Kavango Zambezi, in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where the borders of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge. It spans an area of approximately 520 000 km² and includes 36 proclaimed protected areas.
• The 32 278 km² Malawi-Zambia TFCA, with two main components: the Nyika-North Luangwa component, and the Kasungu/Lukusuzi component
• /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 35 551 km² of which 73% is in Botswana with the remainder in South Africa.
• Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area covers 14 740 km² of the mountains that straddle the north-eastern border between Lesotho and South Africa.

• Transboundary protected area
• Protected area
• List of national parks in Africa
• International Union for Conservation of Nature
• List of largest protected areas in the world

• "Peace Parks Annual Review and Financial Statements 2018" (PDF) Retrieved 2020-03-19.

• "Peace Parks Annual Review and Financial Statements 2017" (PDF) Retrieved 2020-03-19.

• "Peace Parks Foundation". Edmond de Rothschild Group. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
• "Peace Parks Foundation". SANGONeT. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
• Rosaleen Duffy (2001). "Peace parks: The paradox of globalisation1". Geopolitics. 6 (2): 1–26. doi:10.1080/14650040108407715.
• Marloes van Amerom; Bram Büscher (2005). "Peace parks in Southern Africa: bringers of an African Renaissance?". Journal of Modern African Studies. 43 (2): 159–182. doi:10.1017/S0022278X05000790.
• "Peace Parks Annual Review and Financial Statements" (PDF). 2013. Retrieved 2014-11-06.