KAVANGO/ZAMBEZI TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION AREA (TFCA) STRATEGIC CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE
The Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) spans 201,710 km² across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, making it the largest Transfrontier conservation area in the world. This vast region includes protected areas such as Liuwa Plains, Matusadona, and Chobe National Parks. It is home to an extraordinary diversity of life – over 3,000 plant species, thriving floodplains and forests, and some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife. KAZA supports the largest population of African Elephants on the continent, alongside Endangered African Wild Dogs, Lions, and Cheetahs. Its rivers, including the Okavango and Zambezi, provide essential water for both people and wildlife.
More than two million people live within the KAZA landscape, relying on its natural resources for small-scale farming, eco-tourism, and day-to-day survival. EWTs work here focuses on building partnerships with communities, strengthening conservation-based livelihoods, and supporting sustainable land-use practices that protect biodiversity. We are developing long-term finance mechanisms that ensure restoration and protection efforts can continue at scale. In a region facing growing development pressure, we are also engaging with partners to plan energy infrastructure to minimise harm to wildlife corridors and migratory routes.
Bioblitzes and other field-based research efforts help us uncover and document the rich biodiversity that drives our conservation planning. Together with our partners, we are helping to secure the future of KAZA, an extraordinary landscape where ecosystems, people, and wildlife are connected across borders and generations.
Why it’s important
The KAZA TFCA is a unique and vital landscape due to its scale, transboundary nature, and the critical ecological functions it provides. Spanning five countries, KAZA is one of the largest conservation areas in the world, acting as a critical migration corridor for some of Africa’s most iconic species, including elephants, lions, and wild dogs.
The region’s vast wilderness areas allow for the natural movement of wildlife across international borders, ensuring genetic diversity and reducing human-wildlife conflict. Additionally, KAZA plays a central role in maintaining regional water cycles, as the Zambezi River and its tributaries provide water to millions of people and wildlife.
So What?
If we fail to protect KAZA, we risk fragmenting one of Africa’s last great wilderness areas. This would disrupt wildlife migrations, isolate populations, and threaten the livelihoods of communities who rely on natural resources. KAZA also supports thriving ecotourism, contributing to local economies and long-term resilience.
Inaction will lead to biodiversity loss, reduced economic opportunity, and the erosion of cultural heritage across the region.
Protecting KAZA means safeguarding a landscape of global ecological importance—and ensuring that both people and wildlife can continue to benefit from its resources for generations to come.
Vision
Create a vast, thriving conservation landscape, where wildlife roam free, and ecosystems flourish. This landscape connects fragmented habitats, supports biodiversity, and promotes ecological and climate resilience. Local communities coexist with wildlife, benefiting from sustainable tourism and eco-friendly livelihoods. Together, we protect and restore this breathtaking region, preserving its natural beauty and uniqueness for future generations.
Target Species
Landscape Size
201,710 KM²
Why we do it
protect biodiveristy
 Lead collaborative efforts to safeguard species and rebuild life-sustaining ecosystems, working with, for example, governments, landowners, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).Â
secure vital ecosystem services
Healthy ecosystems provide essential services like clean air, water, and food security.
Empower communities
Enable IPLCs to thrive through nature-based solutions that connect conservation with human well-being, equity, and sustainable livelihoods.
build a sustainable future
Embed biodiversity into corporate strategies and operations to deliver measurable positive outcomes for nature and create resilient, future-fit businesses.
Improve climate Resilience
Build climate adaptation and resilience into conservation efforts to protect biodiversity and human well-being.
Enhance water security
Prioritise the safeguarding of critical freshwater systems and catchments across Africa's threatened landscapes.
Cross cutting approaches
People in conservation unit
Co-developing and implementing conservation management approaches to ensure sustainable conservation impact and benefit sharing.
Wildlife and Infrastructure unit
Reducing infrastructure impacts on species and habitats.
Biodiversity and Business Unit
Supporting the integration of biodiversity into corporate strategy and operations, to achieve measurable positive biodiversity outcomes.
Sustainable Finance Unit
Focusing on mobilising financial resources to support conservation efforts.
Wildlife in Trade Unit
Disrupting and preventing illegal wildlife trade in the landscape.
Conservation Tools and Technology Unit
Discovering new species and understanding species distributions to inform conservation priorities in the landscape.