Covid-19 Response Grants

The Covid-19 Emergency Response Grants were created as an urgent response to the severe disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly within Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in Southern Africa. These areas, which span across borders, are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and support the livelihoods of local communities, many of whom depend on tourism and conservation-based activities.

This grant mechanism was specifically created to address the pressing challenges that arose during the pandemic. The pandemic’s wide-reaching effects hit these areas particularly hard, causing a significant decline in tourism, which is a major source of income for both protected areas and surrounding communities. The sudden border closures, travel restrictions, and lockdowns caused an immediate halt to tourism, leading to the collapse of local economies that were heavily dependent on international visitors. The impact was not only economic but also environmental. The reduction in ranger patrols and operational funding led to an increase in illegal activities such as poaching and the harvesting of natural resources, further endangering biodiversity in these areas. With most of governments redirecting their budgets and resources toward addressing health crises, conservation efforts were deprioritized, leaving protected areas and their associated tourism economies at risk. Many parks and conservancies were unable to operate fully, and this led to a loss of jobs, increased poverty, and reduced capacity to manage and protect wildlife. The Covid-19 response grant aimed to counteract these effects by providing immediate financial support to ensure the continuity of key conservation activities and to alleviate the economic strain on communities.

On April 30th 2021, IUCN invited SADC Member States to submit concept notes to be considered for funding under the fast-track funding mechanism. By the June 7th, ten (10) Member States had submitted a total of 22 concept notes. Each Member State had an allocation of EUR 300,000. Some submitted one concept for the maximum amount, whereas other countries submitted multiple concepts within the allocated budget of EUR 300k. The submitted concepts targeted 13 TFCAs in the region; with the highest number received for the Maloti-Drakensberg TFCA (4 concepts).

A total of 11 concepts were approved, and additional concepts initially submitted in response to the Close Call for COVID-19 received IUCN recommendation to be considered under the First Open Call. This allowed grantees adequate time to further develop proposals and additional 2 projects were approved and are currently ongoing beyond the scope of the Covid-19 grants.

The COVID-19 response grant significantly impacted Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) by addressing immediate challenges and laying the foundation for long-term resilience. This session outlines the results and outputs of the grant mechanism, highlighting improvements in infrastructure, community livelihoods, conservation efforts, and capacity building.