The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has held talks with the African Parks Network in Gambella, Ethiopia, as part of efforts to strengthen community engagement and transboundary conservation under the Boma–Gambella Landscape Project.
The IGAD team was led by Dr. Eshete Dejen, Head of the Sustainable Environment Protection Unit under IGAD’s Agriculture and Environment Division.
The team met with representatives of the African Parks Network, including the Gambella National Park Manager and Community Manager, to discuss community-level interventions aimed at improving conservation outcomes in the Ethiopia–South Sudan landscape.
The engagement focused on strengthening collaboration with local communities, who play a critical role in protecting biodiversity, managing natural resources, and promoting peaceful coexistence across transboundary ecosystems.
The discussions also reviewed the field mission plan and upcoming engagements with communities living around the Boma–Gambella landscape.
These engagements are expected to support inclusive participation in conservation planning and implementation.
According to IGAD, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to enhance transboundary biodiversity conservation, regional cooperation, and sustainable environmental management across the shared Ethiopia–South Sudan landscape.
The Boma–Gambella Landscape Project seeks to address conservation challenges that cut across national borders by promoting coordinated action among regional institutions, protected area managers, local communities, and development partners.
Community engagement remains central to the project, with stakeholders emphasizing that sustainable conservation can only succeed when local populations are actively involved in decision-making and benefit from environmental protection initiatives.
The meeting in Gambella also underscored the importance of partnerships in managing fragile ecosystems and safeguarding biodiversity in the Horn of Africa.
The initiative is supported by the European Union, which continues to back regional programmes aimed at environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and cross-border cooperation.
As the project moves forward, IGAD and the African Parks Network are expected to deepen collaboration with communities and conservation actors to promote a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainably managed Boma–Gambella landscape.