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

Key Partners

Platform Host

  • World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 

Data Clearinghouse

  • The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) 

Country focal points

  • Botswana - Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (NCONGO)
  • Kenya - Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA)
  • Malawi - Kasungu Wildlife Conservation for Community Development Association (KAWICCODA)
  • Mozambique - The Mozambique Community Based Natural Resources Management Network (R-GCRN)
  • South Africa - Africa Ignite
  • Tanzania - The Community Wildlife Management Areas Consortium (CWMAC)
  • Uganda - Uganda Tourism Association (UTA)
  • Zambia - Zambia Community-Based Natural Resource Management Forum (Z-CBNRM)
  • Zimbabwe - Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE)

Non-Governmental Organizations

  • Maliasili
  • The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Communications

  • Love Africa Marketing
  • Palmoco
  • Zendesk

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)
  • United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
  • WWF Regional Office for Africa
  • WWF-US

Submissions to GEF

Environmental and Social Safeguards Information

Grievance Mechanism

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.