With $1,903,000 in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the African Nature-Based Tourism Platform will connect funders to the communities and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) most in need of funding support, with a goal of mobilizing at least $15 million to support communities and SMEs in COVID-19 recovery efforts and to build greater resilience into the nature-based tourism business model into the future.

Project focal geographies include Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Key platform partners include national community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) networks, a data clearinghouse, non-governmental organizations, and donors. WWF will serve as the GEF implementing and executing agency, as well as host the platform.

An African community with a united voice stands a far greater chance of elevating this issue in the global agenda, amongst the many competing and related demands, and the platform will strive to achieve this through strong local leadership and collaboration. While the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impacts will be felt for some time to come, the data gathered through this platform, the emergency relief funding secured, and the longer-term efforts to build the resilience of the nature-based tourism sector will benefit nature-based tourism in Africa well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project Components

© Nikhil Advani / WWF-US

Project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Region: Africa (Southern and Eastern Africa)
Focal area: Biodiversity
Project status: CEO Endorsed
GEF Project ID: 10625
Implementing Agency:  WWF-US
Executing Agency and partners:  WWF-US
GEF Resources: US $1,953,000
GEF Agency Fee: US $175,770
Co-financing: US $4,570,000

Co-financing provided by:

  • The Luc Hoffmann Institute
  • Maliasili
  • The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
  • The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD)
  • WWF Regional Office for Africa
  • WWF-US

Submissions to GEF

Environmental and Social Safeguards Information

Grievance Mechanisms

Project-affected communities and other interested stakeholders may raise a grievance about project activities at any time to the Project Team (contact us) or the WWF Project Complaints Officer.

The Project Complaints Officer, a WWF staff member fully independent from the Project Team, is responsible for the WWF GEF Agency Grievance Mechanism, and can be reached at:

Email: SafeguardsComplaint@wwfus.org

Mailing address:
Project Complaints Officer
Safeguards Complaints
World Wildlife Fund
1250 24th Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

The Project Complaints Officer will respond within 10 business days of receipt, and claims will be filed and included in project monitoring.

 

In addition to the WWF GEF Agency GRM, a person concerned about a GEF-financed project or operation may submit a complaint to the GEF Resolution Commissioner, a readily accessible resource who plays a facilitation role and reports directly to the GEF CEO. The Commissioner, always ready to assist, can be reached at:

Email: plallas@thegef.org

Mailing address:
Mr. Peter Lallas
Global Environment Facility
The World Bank Group,
MSN N8-800 1818 H Street,
NW Washington, DC 20433-002

Complaints submitted to the Commissioner should be in writing and any language. The complaints should provide at least a general description of the nature of the concerns, the type of harm that may result, and (where relevant) the GEF-funded projects or program at issue.