New Africa-Led Partnership to Safeguard Keystone Protected Areas

The Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership is a landmark initiative uniting African leadership, civil society, and international partners to secure 162 of the continent’s most irreplaceable protected areas by 2035.

Though they represent just a small percentage of Africa’s protected land — less than 3% of the continent’s landmass — these Keystone Protected Areas provide a disproportionate share of ecological and social value. They provide habitat for over 70% of Africa’s threatened vertebrate species, store approximately 5.8 billion tons of carbon, and sustain critical water systems that serve millions of people. Many are also integral to local and national economies, supporting nature-based livelihoods, tourism, and cultural heritage.

Without targeted investment and coordinated protection, these irreplaceable areas risk degradation, fragmentation, or loss — with consequences that would ripple far beyond their boundaries.

FZS is proud to be a co-founder of this initiative, together with the Rob Walton Foundation, African Parks, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Our role reflects decades of field-based conservation grounded in long-term partnerships, science, and respect for local leadership. The initiative‘s focus on ecological integrity, local benefits, and landscape-level collaboration closely aligns with our own mission: to protect biodiversity while strengthening the resilience and agency of communities that depend on it.

The Partnership was officially launched on September 22nd in New York at the United Nations General Assembly, with strong support from the Presidents of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa, alongside African ministers and civil society.

These leaders emphasized the need for African-driven solutions that are ecologically sound, financially sustainable, and socially just. As President Ramaphosa of South Africa noted, protecting keystone areas is both a conservation imperative and a development opportunity.

Over the coming years, the Keystone Partnership will support:

• Strengthening collaborative management at site level
• Closing financing gaps with long-term, blended investments
• Building capacity in protected area institutions
• Embedding communications and advocacy into conservation action

FZS is actively contributing to this effort across a range of Keystone Protected Areas, where we bring long-term implementation experience, technical expertise, and local partnerships to the table. Our current and emerging engagement spans:

• Lomami National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia)
• Serengeti National Park, Nyerere National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Mahale Mountains National Park,
• Nsumbu National Park, North Luangwa National Park, and Musalangu GMA (Zambia)
• Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe)
• The La Paz complex in Equatorial Guinea (under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding)

At each site, FZS works alongside national authorities, communities, and conservation partners to ensure these landscapes remain ecologically intact, socially supported, and resilient to future pressures. We also help equip the next generation of African conservation leaders through training, knowledge exchange, and on-the-ground mentorship.

The Africa Keystone Partnership represents a new chapter in African conservation— emphasizing the critical role that protected areas play in safeguarding biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, and supporting sustainable development.

As one of its founding partners, FZS is committed to working alongside African institutions to turn this vision into reality.