Senior officials from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gathered in Eswatini today to ready themselves for the upcoming joint ministerial meeting on environment, natural resources, and tourism, set for 21 May 2025.
The session was led by Ambassador Tadeous Chifamba, Permanent Secretary of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, who also chairs the SADC Committee of Senior Officials for Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism. He urged member states to unite in tackling ecosystem pressures, biodiversity loss, climate challenges, and rising socio-economic demands through coordinated and sustainable approaches.
Angelè Makombo N’Tumba, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, reinforced the group’s shared goal of protecting the environment, using natural resources wisely, and developing tourism to support both current and future generations.
Officials focused discussions on several priority areas: reviewing wildlife conservation and resource use; preparing for the 20th Conference of Parties to CITES, balancing conservation with community needs; examining forestry’s role in climate resilience and rural livelihoods; and exploring tourism’s potential to drive green growth, jobs, and cultural preservation. They also considered outcomes from the ongoing SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Conference.
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