Disaster Risk Reduction & Risk-Informed Development (v2)
follow the link above for the online course
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has taken a significant step toward building climate resilience across its Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) with the launch of a new Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiative. The announcement was made during the 2025 SADC International Conference and Heads of State Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, where regional leaders underscored the importance of integrating risk-informed development into conservation and natural resource management.

TFCAs—cross-border conservation landscapes jointly managed by neighbouring countries—are recognised in the  SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030  as vital to regional cooperation, peacebuilding, and economic growth through nature-based tourism. However, recurring droughts, floods, and climate shocks are threatening these gains, leading to water shortages, loss of grazing for both livestock and wildlife, and increased food insecurity across the region.

Envision expansive landscapes where national borders become indistinct, giving way to vibrant ecosystems that link ecosystems, wildlife, and communities. These are the TFCAs of Southern Africa—regions where nature disregards passports, yet disasters such as droughts, floods, and wildfires ignore boundaries as well.

Welcome to this interactive StoryMap course, where we shall undertake an interactive narrative exploration to examine how incorporating DRR and Risk-Informed Development (RID) within TFCA development can convert these areas into resilient sanctuaries for biodiversity and human populations.

This StoryMap is designed for TFCA practitioners, national focal points, planners and policymakers, conservation managers, DRR specialists, and anyone interested in natural resource governance within the SADC region. Through maps, visuals, and interactive features, we shall interweave accounts of challenges and solutions, emphasising the development of resilience against increasing risks, including transboundary animal diseases and hazards driven by climate change.