African Parks Network

The African Parks Network is an international non-governmental organization which seeks to address environmental conservation issues in Africa, especially the decline of many of Africa's national parks. It was founded in 2000 as a not-for-profit organization by a group of conservationists (Mavuso Msimang, Anthony Hall-Martin, Michael Eustace, Peter Fearnhead, and Paul Fentener van Vlissingen).

African Parks currently manages 10 parks in 7 African countries: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Zambia. The total area under management, in public-private partnerships with governments, covers 6 million hectares.

Organisation

African Parks Network is registered as a not-for-profit company under Section 21 of the Companies Act of South Africa and its head office is in Johannesburg. African Parks' CEO is Peter Fearnhead. Each park is managed by a separate legal entity, registered in the host country. These legal entities are mostly established by African Parks Network for the purpose of implementing an agreement with the Government for the management of a specific national park.

Affiliate organisations

African Parks is supported by a number of affiliate organisations established in key donor countries. Their primary role is to facilitate the establishment of partnerships in their respective host countries with individuals, institutions and companies, that are willing to become involved in the work of African Parks. Currently these affiliate organisations include:

• Stichting African Parks Foundation, Netherlands
• African Parks Foundation of America
• African Parks Foundation (UK)

Parks managed

The following parks are managed by African Parks Network (by December 2015):

• Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia (since August 2003) - 3600 km².
• Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi (since March 2003) - 700 km².
• Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (since November 2005) - 4900 km² National Park, and 7527 km² with the Domaines de Chasse.
• Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia (since October 2008) - 600 km².
• Akagera National Park, Rwanda (since December 2009) - 1122 km².
• Odzala National Park, Congo (since 2010) - 13500 km².
• Zakouma National Park, Chad (since October 2010) - 3054 km².
• Chinko Area, CAR (since October 2014) - 17600 km².
• Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Central Malawi (since 2015) - 1800 km².
• Liwonde National Park, Southernl Malawi (since 2015) - 548 km²

African Parks is currently involved in the creation of two other protected areas:

• Ennedi National Park proposal, Chad
• Gambela National Park, Ethiopia. A memorandum of understanding was concluded with Ethiopian wildlife authorities in 2014 to manage Gambella in the near future.

Prospections are going on to take the management of other African protected areas. By December 2015, African Parks is under negotiations to take further parks in Kenya (Buffalo Springs and the Shaba National Reserves) and Tanzania (Burigi, Biharamulo and Kimisi Game Reserves). Negotiations failed to take the administration of Gashaka-Gumpti and Cross River National Parks in Nigeria. There is an interest to take the management of one marine Mozambican protected area, which could be Bazaruto National Park.

Formerly managed parks

The following parks were once managed by African Parks Network. For various reasons, including conflict with local tribes, African Parks Network stopped managing these parks:

• Omo National Park, Ethiopia (January 2006 to 2008)
• Nechisar National Park, Ethiopia (February 2004 to 2008)
• Dungonab Bay Marine National Park, Sudan (July 2005 to October 2008)
• Sanganeb Atoll Marine National Park, Sudan (July 2005 to October 2008)
• West Lunga National Park, Zambia (from 2008 to 2009)

External links

• Official website

• http://www.africanparks.eu
• The Sunday Times – Rwandas First Daily. Newtimes.co.rw (13 December 2009). Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• allAfrica.com
• Thome, Wolfgang H.. (17 December 2009) eTurboNews. eTurboNews. Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• African Parks takes on the Management of Protected Area in Central African Republic, 19 December 2014
• http://www.chinkoproject.com
• African Parks takes on the Management of Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve In Malawi, 22 July 2015
• http://africanparksreports.org
• African Parks Concludes Memorandum of Understanding with Government of Chad on Ennedi, 4. February 2015
• http://africanparksquarterlyreport3.org
• http://africanparksquarterlyreport.org
• African Parks Network: Termination of Management Activities in Nech Sar NP and Omo NP
• The Turing Foundation: Nature Conservation – Archive. Turingfoundation.nl (8 November 2010). Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• Mursi Online: African Parks Foundation (APF) Omo Agreement. Mursi.org (1 June 2011). Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• African Parks to give up its management of the Omo National Park. Mursi.org. Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• APF Withdrawal statement. Conservation Refugees (7 December 2007). Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• Indigenous people versus the 'business model'. Matthijsblonk.nl. Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• Landloss threat ends as African Parks withdraws from Ethiopia. Globaljusticeecology.org. Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• Survival APF letter. (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
• http://www.africanparks.eu/xMedia/PDF/AnnualReport/APN_AnnualReport_2008.pdf
• http://www.africanparks.eu/xMedia/PDF/AnnualReport/APN_AnnualReport_2009.pdf