While African Parks faced some real challenges in 2022, the organisation also achieved significant growth and accomplishments which are worth being proud of. This could not have been possible without the support of our various Government partners, our donors and the entire African Parks team. Here are some of African Parks’ key highlights from 2022.

Government partners commit to the protection of their natural resources and areas: 

• The Government of Chad signed a revised agreement with African Parks for the management of the Greater Zakouma Ecosystem, an amendment to the existing mandate, which extends until 2027 (read more).
• The Government of Zambia signed a 20-year-agreement with African Parks for the Kafue National Park in a landmark commitment to secure the protection and effective management of one of Africa’s ten largest national parks (read more).
• The Government of the Republic of South Sudan and African Parks signed a 10-year renewable management agreement for Boma and Badingilo National Parks, including the wildlife corridors and proposed extension zones in the broader landscape – an area which is well over three million hectares (read more).

These commitments by Governments are important steps in the long-term protection of some of Africa’s most vital ecosystems to secure lasting benefits for people and wildlife

Sustainable biodiversity conservation:

• Across the African Parks’ portfolio of parks, approximately 14,000 elephant, 2,000 giraffe, 500 lions, 2,000 chimpanzees, 7,500 western lowland gorillas, and 50 cheetahs are being protected.  
• A variety of wildlife translocations were carried out to support species’ population growth and ensure healthy genetic diversity. These included a significant translocation in Malawi of 263 elephants and over 400 other wildlife animals from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park, and an additional 947 wildlife animals to Mangochi Forest Reserve and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve to boost populations and fast track restoration and biodiversity in the parks(read more).

African Parks leads the conversation in protecting vulnerable species:

• African Parks is pleased to share the successful reassessment of dugongs globally from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is a result of input from Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) Research Coordinator, Evan Trotzuk, Research Assistant, Lorena Mato and African Parks Head of Science, Dr Angela Gaylard, who led the application with their co-authored peer-reviewed scientific paper, titled “Focused and inclusive actions could ensure the persistence of East Africa's last known viable dugong subpopulation”, published in May this year.  With this new IUCN status, dugongs will be afforded the highest level of global protection (read more).
• As part of a Shoebill Management Plan drafted in partnership with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and African Parks, the Shoebill Captive Rearing and Rehabilitation Facility was established in the heart of Bangweulu Wetlands in collaboration with African Wildlife Conservation Foundation and Ashia Cheetah Conservation. The facility is designed to rear chicks in captivity to increase breeding success in the region. Although shoebills typically lay two eggs, they rarely raise both chicks successfully. With their numbers critically endangered, our newly completed, and world-first, shoebill rehabilitation facility to raise these “spare” chicks is set to be a massive contribution to shoebill conservation efforts (read more).

African Parks enhances community development through sustainable socio-economic projects:

• On 18th of October, the Gishanda Fish Farm opened outside Akagera National Park in Rwanda. The fish farm is a new sustainable socio-economic development project partnership between African Parks-managed Akagera National Park and FoodTechAfrica, a consortium of Dutch private companies, with the support of the Rwandan and the Netherlands governments. (read more).

Leadership going into 2023 - African Parks appoints new Chairperson of the Board:

• African Parks had the pleasure of announcing Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D. as the new Chairperson of the Board of African Parks, with effect from 1st of December 2022. Having served as a Board Member of African Parks for the past three years, as well as being the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Novartis, Dr Narasimhan has taken over from Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, who served as the Chairperson since December 2009 (read more).

African Parks is deeply grateful for the myriad support received to realise these positive developments and remains committed to continuing collective efforts in ensuring the protection of nature for the benefit of people and wildlife.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                             ###

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares of some of the world’s most important ecosystems.