HARARE – Regional ministers tasked with overseeing environment, natural resources, and tourism gathered in Harare on Tuesday to review pressing sectoral challenges and renew commitments to collaborative conservation efforts across Southern Africa.
The Joint Committee of SADC Ministers met on 21 May 2025, with the session chaired by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Honourable Evelyn Ndlovu. She urged her counterparts to focus their discussions on tangible results and to scale up joint action through the framework of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs).
The ministers convened to assess the progress made in safeguarding shared natural heritage across borders, particularly under the TFCA initiative, which has seen significant expansion in the past two decades. The SADC Executive Secretary, Mr. Elias M. Magosi, told the gathering that the region had grown from a single cross-border park into a network of 13 TFCAs spanning nearly one million square kilometres. These protected landscapes now account for more than half of all conservation zones in SADC.
Delegates reviewed the performance of the wildlife sector, including the status of conservation programmes and challenges surrounding the sustainable use of natural resources. They also evaluated forestry practices across the region, noting the importance of forest management in protecting biodiversity, supporting rural livelihoods, and building climate resilience.
Tourism was also on the agenda, as the sector continues to show potential for creating jobs and generating revenue while strengthening cultural ties across the region. Ministers shared updates on tourism recovery efforts and agreed on the need for harmonised policies to boost investment and facilitate cross-border tourism.
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