The chair of the Peace Parks Foundation of South Africa, Anton Rupert, said on Thursday he was grateful for the US Congress’s efforts to support the foundation.
He was responding to the US House of Representatives and the Senate having adopted a special resolution on Wednesday supporting the foundation’s efforts to facilitate the development of transfrontier conservation areas in southern Africa.
Wednesday’s resolution states that the US values peace and stability in the global community and in particular Africa. It had long recognised the significance of sustainable economic development and the conservation of biodiversity.
”We are sincerely grateful for this support, which is needed now more than ever if Africa wants to take its rightful place in the world economic and conservation fields,” Rupert said.
”Our goals with peace parks are very clear: protection of biodiversity, economic development, job creation and the promotion of peace and understanding between the countries concerned.”
A transfrontier conservation area, or peace park, involves two or more countries which, without compromising national sovereignty, allows the free movement of animals and humans across international boundaries within the peace park.
The best known example is the Great Limpopo Park which links the Kruger National Park with national parks in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The Peace Parks Foundation is presently supporting South African National Parks with the translocation of 1 000 elephant and 6 500 other animals from Kruger Park to Mozambique.
One of the founders of the Peace Parks Foundation was former president Nelson Mandela.
In Southern Africa 22 transfrontier conservation areas have been identied and when finalised they are expected to attract some eight million tourists. – Sapa