The 1st African Congress on Protected Areas of Africa (APAC), has its sponsors. The event, which will be held from March 7 to 12, 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda, benefits from the moral support of Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Issoufou Mahamadou, former President of Niger and Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana.
Three former African heads of state have agreed to sponsor the first edition of the African Congress on Protected Areas (APAC), which takes place from March 7 to 12, 2022 in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. They are Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Issoufou Mahamadou, former President of Niger and Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana. The three sponsors were introduced on January 20, 2022 in Kigali, by the Rwandan Minister of Environment, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya. “It is essential that all African nations and leaders make this journey together. The African Protected Areas Congress comes at a time when global attention is increasingly focused on our strained relationship with nature,” says Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.
In their acceptance speeches, the three former heads of state expressed their gratitude for the honour bestowed upon them, before highlighting the challenges of the event. “The APAC presents an unprecedented opportunity to chart a course that balances economic growth and the conservation of Africa’s natural capital. This will require strategic choices and investments based on the best available knowledge and long-term thinking,” says Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Financing biodiversity protection in Africa
One of the areas where APAC’s sponsors are expected to work is in the area of finance. This segment remains deficient in efforts to protect protected areas. According to the Rwandan Ministry of Environment, an additional $700 billion per year is needed for biodiversity, which is less than 1% of global GDP. Africa spends less than 10% of what is needed to protect and restore nature.
Read also-AFRICA: Towards a pan-African fund for protected areas
It is in this context that the inaugural APAC congress is taking place. It promises to be the first ever continental gathering of African leaders, citizens and interest groups to discuss the role of protected areas in conserving nature, safeguarding Africa’s iconic wildlife, providing vital ecosystem services, promoting sustainable development and conserving Africa’s cultural heritage and traditions.
Organized by the World Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with the Rwandan government and conservation organizations, the inaugural APAC congress will focus on three key themes: protected areas, people and biodiversity.
Boris Ngounou
