Partners officially launch the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Project, strengthening long-term transboundary conservation and community resilience

The project, titled ‘Integrated Management for Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park’, is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway Flagship initiative NaturAfrica for Transfrontier Conservation Areas in the SADC region. It is implemented by African Parks, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and in close collaboration with the Governments of Botswana and South Africa.  

The official launch, held in Gaborone, Botswana, follows the signing of the grant agreement between IUCN and African Parks in March 2026 and marks the start of a 30-month initiative focused on strengthening institutional capacity, improving operational effectiveness and laying the foundations for long-term, collaborative management of the KTP.  

Established more than 25 years ago by the governments of Botswana and South Africa, the KTP was the first Transfrontier Conservation Area in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The park represents a shared commitment to cross border cooperation in conserving natural resources while supporting sustainable development for communities living within and around the landscape.  

Spanning a vast arid expanse across both countries, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park protects one of southern Africa’s most intact desert ecosystems. Defined by red sand dunes, fossil riverbeds and open savannahs, the park supports wide-ranging species adapted to extreme climatic conditions and maintains ecological connectivity across national borders. As pressures from climate variability and land use intensify, the long-term resilience of this landscape depends on coordinated management, robust planning and sustained collaboration between governments, conservation partners and neighbouring communities.  

Speaking at the launch, the IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Director, Luther Anukur noted, “The grant awarded to African Parks for KTP marks a major milestone in the EU-funded EUR 10 million portfolio managed by IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa under the SADC TFCA Financing Facility. As part of a broader vision to catalyze sustainable growth across the SADC region, the Facility will support 12 high-impact grants that drive green economy transformation, strengthen resilient local livelihoods, and unlock the long-term value of NaturAfrica landscapes for both people and nature.”

The project focuses primarily on the Botswana section of the park, while supporting selected activities in the South African section, including engagement with the ǂKhomani San community. It aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation outcomes while improving park management systems, infrastructure and logistics, environmental and land use planning processes, and cooperation among key stakeholders.  

Central to the initiative is an emphasis on inclusive participation and community resilience, recognising that the health of the Kgalagadi ecosystem is closely linked to the well-being and livelihoods of communities living alongside the park. Through improved planning, engagement and institutional collaboration, the project seeks to support sustainable, landscape-level approaches that deliver long-term benefits for both people and nature.  

Early implementation priorities include establishing project governance structures in Botswana, and development and implementation of individual management plans for the four Wildlife Management Areas around the park, a tourism development plan for the park and a community development plan for the greater landscape. This will guide decision-making across the landscape and create pathways for communities on the Botswana side to start generating sustainable revenue from wildlife and tourism.  

By the end of the project, anticipated outcomes include strengthened protected area management capacity, improved operational readiness, robust planning frameworks to guide conservation and land use management, enhanced community participation and socio-economic opportunities; a foundation for sustained, long-term support to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.