Representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States, River Basin Organisations (RBOs), Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), development partners, civil society, International Cooperating Partners (ICPs) and financial institutions convened this week for the inaugural Transboundary Water and Landscapes Sustainable Finance Bootcamp.
This regional gathering, held on 26 and 27 November in Muldersdrift, South Africa, explored and unlocked innovative financing solutions for shared watercourses and biodiversity across Southern Africa.
Several RBOs and TFCAs in Southern Africa operate within the same geographical landscape and face similar challenges, highlighting the need to strengthen joint project implementation to ensure effective conservation and water security benefits.
The Bootcamp, held under the theme Sustainable Finance
Bootcamp Sustainable financing for joint impact in River Basin Organisations and Transfrontier Conservation Areas of southern Africa, with a focus on the Great Limpopo, aimed to deepen understanding of sustainable finance principles and their practical application to nature conservation in transboundary contexts.
The gathering showcased innovative financoal solutions and provided participants with opportunities to explore how these can be adapted to diverse catchments and landscapes, with key lessons from the Blyde and Olifants sub-catchments located in the Great Limpopo.
Through plenary and training sessions, as well as handson breakaway discussions, participants were encouraged to apply practical models such as tax incentives, environmental funds and bonds to their own contexts.
The event also catalysed new partnerships and fostered collaboration among institutions, while encouraging innovation and replication of successful approaches to unlock longterm financing for shared management of water and land-based ecosystem resources.
The Bootcamp initiative was convened by the Sustainable Finance Coalition, the Global Water Partnership Southern
Africa (GWPSA) and Conservation International, with financial support from the German government, under the SADC-German Transboundary Water Management (TWM) project and Global Affairs Canada through Conservation International.
The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
(GLTFCA) served as focal points and co-convened the event.
Speaking ahead of the event, LIMCOM and GLTFCA noted that “This Bootcamp is a timely opportunity to mobilise resources and partnerships that will ensure that our shared basins and conservation areas are managed sustainably, equitably and for the benefit of all.”
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