Conservation leaders from more than 25 African countries gathered last Wednesday in Victoria Falls for the conference, which is hosted by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management (Zimparks) and co-convened by the African Wildlife Foundation and the German Federal Government under the International Climate Protection Initiative (IKI).

As a continent, Africa contributes enormously to conservation efforts and to the global goals of 30×30. Funding to  adequately safeguard biodiversity in African protected areas therefore needs to come from a variety of sources in a coordinated, effective manner. Discussions at the conference threw into sharp relief the part that LLF plays in this funding stream, and further highlighted the need for continued financing of strong partnerships for a long-term, programmatic approach to biodiversity protection across the continent.