Perspectives From The Field

When we established African Parks 25 years ago, we believed it was possible for an organisation, working in partnership with governments, to support the long-term management of national parks, provided this was embedded within strong governance and accountability structures. We also saw an opportunity for this approach to help unlock additional funding into a sector that was already under pressure from declining state resources. At the time, this was not how national parks were managed or funded, and so building trust with our first government partners required time, commitment, and shared conviction. It is a credit to those partners that they were willing to explore a different approach. In doing so, they helped set in motion a model that is now widely recognised in the management and financing of protected areas. A quarter of a century later, I am not sure any of us fully appreciated how challenging and complex that journey would be. What we did understand, however, was that it would take decades rather than years, and that it would depend entirely on the people and institutions who chose to do this work alongside us.

In 2025, African Parks marked 25 years of existence, although this anniversary nearly passed us by. Over that time, there have been periods of steady progress, as well as times where we have had to navigate difficult and uncertain situations. It has required consistency, patience, and a willingness to learn and adapt. Above all, it has been a collective effort – with our teams on the ground, our government partners, local communities, donors, and partner organisations.

This year’s theme, 25 Years of Collective Impact, reflects that reality. It recognises the partnerships and systems that underpin the work that we do and the progress we have made, while also pointing to the next phase as we work towards managing 30 protected areas by 2030 with the same discipline and long-term focus.

An overview of the operational details is set out in the executive summary that follows. For the individual park reports, we have selected a specific theme or story that characterises each park during 2025. Here, I share a few personal moments and reflections from the year.

I spent part of the year visiting several of the areas we manage, including Liuwa Plain in Zambia, where, in many ways, our journey began. Spending time there and meeting with the Litunga, the King of the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE), brought those early years back into focus. The Litunga’s leadership was instrumental in protecting the Liuwa system and laying the foundation for our earliest management partnership – signed in May 2003 between the BRE, the Zambian Government, and African Parks. His leadership and friendship continue to this day, and it has been an honour to work with him over the past 25 years.

I also visited Benin, where, due to severe insecurity emanating from militant extremists from Burkina Faso, our teams continue to operate under very challenging conditions. Despite this, their morale and resolve were humbling, as was their commitment to these landscapes and to the communities connected to them. I also visited Chad on several occasions, both to meet with our government partner and to spend time with the teams on the ground, who have had to navigate one of their most challenging years to date. One of my most consistent observations across these visits is the level of commitment to these areas – from staff, from partners, and from the communities we work alongside. This contributes to the resilience of these systems and their ability to endure over time.

This year has asked more of us as an organisation. We absorbed significant shifts in international funding, including the loss of USAID to the broader development landscape; we navigated a period of uncertainty around our mandates in Chad; and we worked through the implementation of recommendations arising from the independent review into abuses in Odzala-Kokoua National Park. None of this has been straightforward.

But conservation at this scale is rarely linear; the challenges we face, and how we respond to them, are part of what builds resilience over time. What matters most is that the work on the ground has continued – steadily, without interruption, and without loss of focus.

Looking ahead, our ambition to manage 30 protected areas by 2030 remains within reach. More importantly, our conviction in the approach that has carried us this far is as strong today as it was at the beginning. Landscapes of this scale only endure through partnership, consistent presence, and the patience to stay the course through difficult periods.

To our government partners, the communities we work alongside, our donors who make this work possible, and our teams in the field who deliver it — thank you. The progress we have made is shared, and so is the responsibility for what comes next.

Thank you for your continued support,

Peter Fearnhead