How do you secure Rwanda’s beloved Grey Crowned Cranes and other threatened wildlife that depend on healthy wetlands and agricultural landscapes for their survival?

The Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, the International Crane Foundation and WWF Zambia, has launched a five-year US$9 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) Kafue Flats Project aimed at restoring the Kafue Flats ecosystem, and securing wildlife habitat and species, while improving livelihoods, strengthening climate resilience, and supporting sustainable development for communities across the wetland landscape.

Hosted by the International Crane Foundation, Uganda’s crane festival brought together Uganda government officials, conservation scientists, traditional clan leaders, and local communities to highlight the role of science, culture, and accountability in conserving wetlands.

The International Crane Foundation in Africa calls for governments, organisations, and individuals to work alongside traditional custodians to restore wetlands for a secure future of cranes and people ahead of World Wetlands Day to be celebrated on 2nd February under the theme “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage.”

More than 90,000 hectares (222,600 acres) of irreplaceable Drakensberg Grasslands will now be conserved as part of South Africa’s first large-scale, verified soil carbon project.

How do you secure Kenya’s beloved Grey Crowned Cranes, sitatunga, and other threatened wildlife that depend on healthy wetlands and agricultural landscapes for survival?

In Uganda, natural ecosystems, especially wetlands, face growing threats from climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable land-use practices such as wetland conversion and sand mining. These pressures have reduced both agricultural productivity and biodiversity.

This successful approach to conservation will be shared by Kerryn Morrison, the International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust Partnership’s Vice President of Africa Programs, during the 9th Session of the Meeting of the Parties of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA MOP9) held from November 11-14 in Bonn, Germany.

With generous support from The Elephant Charge, the International Crane Foundation in Zambia recently conducted a series of community radio awareness campaigns to raise understanding and appreciation of the Kafue Flats ecosystem.