NaturAfrica : a new approach for biodiversity conservation and green economic development in Africa.
Date: 2022-12-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for International Partnerships
Subjects: EU initiative, biodiversity, economic development, ecosystem, environmental protection, green economy, multi-level governance, natural resources, sustainable development

NaturAfrica

A new approach for biodiversity conservation 
and green economic development in Africa 

NaturAfrica is an initiative promoted by the EU and EU 
Member States to cooperate with actors in sub-Saharan 
Africa to promote biodiversity conservation and sustain-
able development. The initiative represents a concrete 
response to address the increasing pressure on African 
ecosystems from population growth, climate change, con-
flict over access to natural resources and illegal exploita-
tion of wildlife and forest products. Through an integrated 
landscape approach, NaturAfrica aims to  protect and 
restore nature through a network of protected areas and 
other high value ecosystems, promoting improved gov-
ernance of natural resources at multiple levels and stim-
ulating  economic  and  social  opportunities  for  local 
populations in the landscapes.

NaturAfrica focuses on Key Landscapes for Conservation and 
Development (KLCD), where healthy ecosystems have the capac-
ity to sustain the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local 
communities, together with viable populations of wildlife species. 

KLCDs include a mosaic of areas that contribute to nat ural 
resource protection (national parks, reserves, wildlife manage-
ment areas, community and/or private conservancies, forest 
concessions, etc...), surrounded by multi-use areas that support 
green economy opportunities. 

By looking at nature conservation through a people-centred 
approach focused on good governance and local economic devel-
opment, NaturAfrica targets improved livelihoods and security 
for people, tackles the root causes of biodiversity loss and envi-
ronmental degradation, and promotes good practices and nature-
based solutions for sustainable land use and value chains.

NaturAfrica is a flagship initiative of the Global Gateway Africa 
investment package. Through a Team Europe approach, it contrib-
utes to the external dimension of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 
2030 and it is aligned with the European Consensus on Develop-
ment, the European Green Deal, and the Comprehensive Strategy 
for Africa.  

International
Partnerships

NaturAfrica’s landscape approach is structured 
around three ‘pillars’: 
1.  Conservation:  protecting  key  biodiversity 
assets  in  ecologically  connected  landscapes, 
including actions targeting capacity building, 
anti-poaching, ecological monitoring, research 
and management effectiveness;

2.  Development: unlocking landscapes’ economic 
and  social  opportunities,  including  through 
support to value chains in agriculture, forestry, 
fisheries, ecotourism, and circular industries, 
and  through  actions  oriented  to  sustainable 
energy and infrastructure, education and health;
3.  Governance:  promoting  sustainable  natural 
resource  management  through  an  inclusive 
approach focused on local communities, indige-
nous  peoples,  women  and  youth,  including 
through  the  promotion  of  participatory  local 
development mechanisms, policy framework, 
security,  law  enforcement  and  sustainable 
finance. 

During its first phase (up to 2024), NaturAfrica will 
focus on 6 terrestrial biomes (Congo Basin Forest eco-
systems, Transhumance landscapes in Central Africa, 
West African Forests, Sudano-Sahelian savannahs of 

Northern Kenyan rangelands landscape

Connecting conservation areas for wildlife, 
governance and security

In the Northern Kenyan rangelands, two thirds of wildlife live 
outside formal state-managed protected areas, on land that   
they share with local populations. The Kenyan conservancies, a 
recognised land-use under Kenyan wildlife law, are a mechanism 
for  empowering  local  people  to  lead  conservation  and 

Virunga landscape

Building a green economy powerhouse around Virunga 
National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Well-managed protected areas can act as a trigger for devel-
opment and good governance within broader landscapes. 
The Virunga Foundation, which has a delegated management 
agreement for Virunga National Park (NP), is a particularly 
good example. Virunga NP is a World Heritage Site of extraor-
dinary natural beauty and biodiversity, including the famous 
mountain gorillas. The National Park is located in a landscape 
that is home to over 5 million people, most of whom live in 
extreme poverty. The park continues to be affected by an 
unstable security situation, characterised by armed conflicts 
that have blighted the lives of local communities for three 
decades. Thanks to the long-term support of the EU and private 
donors,  the  integrated  landscape  approach  promoted  in 
Virunga has been key to achieving tremendous results to 
improve the livelihoods of local populations. Biodiversity con-
servation and the development of green energy are at the 
heart of the approach. The construction of 4 hydropower 
plants expanded electricity distribution in Goma from 10 to 
40 MW. Thanks to this, EU support further served the devel-
opment of a green economy. A wide range of value chains, 
including ecotourism, fishing, cocoa, coffee and chia seeds, 
have been boosted through a credit system to create over  
12 000 quality jobs. The Virunga Foundation is today the 
main source of employment in North Kivu. In parallel, wildlife 
populations in Virunga NP have risen, with gorilla populations 
up from 80 to 350 in just a few years and the return of 700 
elephants from Uganda, demonstrating a perfect synergy 
between conservation and development objectives.  

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NATURAFRICAWest Africa, Eastern Rift savannahs and watersheds, 
Trans-frontier conservation areas of Southern Africa) 
and 4 coastal/ocean zones (West Africa, Gulf of Guinea, 
Benguela current and Indian Ocean), see map (over-
leaf). Within these areas, priority will be given to key 
landscapes identified in Larger than Elephants: Inputs 
for an EU strategic approach to wildlife conservation in 
Africa, the product of a wide consultation of stakehold-
ers, including national institutions, civil society and the 
private sector. Overall, the NaturAfrica initiative will 
cover 3.19 million square kilometres, an area that is 
home to 59.86 million inhabitants, with a population 
density ranging from 1 to 308 people/km2. 

To complement actions implemented at the landscape 
level, NaturAfrica also promotes engagement and pol-
icy dialogue between the EU, its Member States, the 
African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and 
other regional stakeholders, including the Africa Pro-
tected Area Directors network (APAD) and African civil 
society organisations.

The  three  landscapes  detailed  illustrate  how  the  
NaturAfrica approach is already delivering concrete 
and tangible results.

Northern Kenyan rangelands landscape

participatory landscape management efforts. Conservancies 
complement national parks and reserves in biodiversity and eco-
system protection, while enabling communities to benefit from 
wildlife management and livelihood opportunities. Over 160 
conservancies currently cover 11 % of Kenya’s land mass, rep-
resenting 87 % of its protected area estate and directly impact-
ing the lives of 930 000 households. The EU, among others, 
supports the community conservancies of the Northern Range-
lands Trust (NRT), the largest community-based conservation 
initiative in Kenya. In the past few years, the landscape registered 
a substantial reduction in poaching incidents, and endangered 
wildlife populations, such as black rhino, hirola antelope and 
Grevy’s zebra have recovered. Conservancies are generating sig-
nificant revenue streams from rangeland productivity improve-
ment, including carbon credits earned for soil carbon capture 
over an area of 2 million hectares of conservancy land. In par-
allel, in 2021, over 7 000 hectares of land were restored, with 
the reintroduction of indigenous trees and the establishment of 
2 mangrove community forest associations. Local communities, 
and  especially  women  and  youth,  are  benefiting  from  vil-
lage-level vocational training, whch supports income diversifi-
cation. Moreover, through peace interventions, the NRT’s strong 
local governance structures have brought peace and security to 
an area of Northern Kenya that has historically suffered from 
insecurity and inter-ethnic conflict.

Zakouma landscape

A long-term partnership for ecosystem management and 
sustainable financing: Zakouma National Park, Chad

Zakouma  National  Park  in  Chad  preserves  an  important 
Sudano-Sahelian ecosystem between the Sahara desert and the 
fertile rainforest belt that crosses west and central Africa. With 
its rich floodplains, the park is home to 50 % of the world’s 
Kordofan giraffe population and was roamed by over 6 000 ele-
phants until ivory poaching decimated their numbers. In 2010, a 
public-private partnership (PPP) was established between the 
Government of Chad and African Parks to improve the park’s 
management. With the EU contribution to the fight against wild-
life trafficking, by 2016 poaching had been largely eliminated. 
Since then, the numbers of giraffes, buffalo and other species 
have been steadily increasing and, for the first time in a decade, 
elephants resumed breeding. The PPP was prolonged until 2027 
and extended to the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, a landscape 
comprising also key wildlife areas and corridors at the periphery 
of Zakouma NP. Through NaturAfrica, the EU has been also sup-
porting ranger training and law enforcement strategies, which 
have improved security and coordination with legal and military 
authorities. Today Zakouma is the largest employer in the region, 
thanks to revived tourism and green economy activities, including 
local honey production and micro-projects for the cultivation of 
shea butter, climate-smart vegetables and arboriculture. The park 
is also investing heavily in infrastructure, developing new head-
quarters and tracks in the Siniaka-Minia Faunal Reserve, mark-
ings for transhumance corridors, pastoral ponds, and new schools. 
Today Zakouma NP is perceived as a place of safety and a pro-
vider of income, education and healthcare for local communities.

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A new approach for biodiversity conservation and green economic development in AfricaPriority landscapes for NaturAfrica phase 1  (2021-2024)

MAP

Map based on information available in November 2022

European Commission
Directorate-General for International Partnerships
Unit F2 - Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources
Rue de la Loi 41, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium

Contacts:  
Thierry Dudermel, e-mail Thierry.Dudermel@ec.europa.eu
Unit F2, e-mail: INTPA-F2@ec.europa.eu

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2022
© European Union, 2022

Photo credits:
p1 Virunga hippos: Brent Stirton
p2 Virunga rangers: Paul Taggart/WPN
p2 Women plant mangroves: Vivian Jebet/NRT
p3 Zakouma elephant: African Parks

PDF ISBN 978-92-76-60568-3  

doi:10.2841/44629 

MN-03-22-264-EN-N

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