African Parks Network
The African Parks Network, is a not-for-profit company that takes on total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and other protected areas, in public-private partnerships with African Governments. The approach combines world-class conservation practices with business expertise. They place emphasis on achieving the financial sustainability of the parks, principally through tourism and associated private enterprise which also serve as a foundation for economic development and poverty reduction. The African Parks Network is founded in 2000 as a not-for-profit organisation by a group of experienced conservationists (Mavuso Msimang, Dr Anthony Hall-Martin, Michael Eustace, Peter Fearnhead and late Paul Fentener van Vlissingen), who were concerned about the decline of many of Africa’s national parks.
In just nine years, African Parks has taken on responsibility for the management of 5 protected areas in four different countries.[1][2][3]
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:[4]
- Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia (since August 2003)
- Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi (since March 2003)
- Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (since November 2005)
- Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia (since October 2008)
- Akagera National Park, Rwanda (since December 2009)[5][6][7]
Formerly managed parks
The following parks were once managed by African Parks Network. For various reasons African Parks Network stopped managing these parks:[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
- 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)
References
- ↑ African Parks Network
- ↑ African Parks Network: History and Structure
- ↑ Partner African Parks. Africa News. Retrieved on 12 January 2012.
- ↑ African Parks Network: The Parks we manage
- ↑ 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 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.