SWM Community Conservancy Project
BOTSWANA AND NAMIBIA (KAZA)

SWM Project
The project supports the development of a network of community conservancies (CCs) to improve ecological connectivity and socio-economic sustainability in the Kavango-Zambezi (KaZa) landscape, the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area (TFCA).
In Botswana, the project is being implemented in the Habu Community Wildlife Conservancy, which is located in the communal livestock grazing areas of western Ngamiland. This area is also part of the KaZa Khaudum-Ngamiland Wildlife Dispersal Area (WDA), connecting northeast Namibia with northern Botswana. In Namibia, the Project involves 13 community-based organizations, including 12 CCs and the Kyaramacan Association in Bwabwata National Park. The sites are found within key transboundary wildlife corridors in the KaZa landscape, which help protect the free movement of wildlife populations among the five countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola).
DID YOU KNOW?
- Covering nearly 520,000 km2, the KaZa TFCA is the largest transboundary conservation area in the world, with more than 20 national parks, 85 forest reserves, 22 Conservancies, 11 sanctuaries, 103 wildlife management areas and 11 game management areas.
- Community conservancies are formed and run by local people and offer protected space for wildlife outside of official protected areas.
- Since 1998, a network of 86 community conservancies covering more than 20% of Namibia’s land mass, which is home to around 230 000 people (9% of Namibia’s population), have been created.
- The SWM Programme has partnered with Wild Entrust Africa (WEA) in Botswana and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Namibia to develop and strengthen a network of 13 community conservancies.

NATIONAL PARTNERS

