Instagram – May 22nd, 2020

Today is the International Day for Biodiversity. The theme this year is ‘Our solutions are in nature’ and we couldn’t think of anyone who epitomises this better than our friends and partners at @africanparksnetwork ⁣
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As we have recently learned, we as humans depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival in more ways than one. African Parks has taken on the responsibility for the rehabilitation, development, and management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. By adopting a business approach to conservation (i.e. tourism, carbon funding), supported by donor funding, they aim to make each park sustainable in the long-term, thereby benefitting the surrounding communities through steady incomes, sustainable livelihood options as well as employment, education and healthcare. By protecting these areas, they are also contributing to the regional resilience to climate change and providing refuges for essential ecosystems to thrive.⁣
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African Parks currently manage 17 parks in 11 countries – Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DRC, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia – with a combined area of 13.3 million hectares of functioning ecosystems that sustain millions of people. ⁣
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Image by @kyledenobrega in @zakouma_national_park