Collaborative platform for African nature-based tourism enterprises, conservation areas and local communities – a response to COVID-19

The three-year, mid-sized project proposal (PIF) was approved by the GEF CEO in July 2020. The project seeks to facilitate funding access to local communities, conservation areas and nature-based tourism enterprises in Eastern and Southern Africa whose incomes and livelihoods have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The project aims to do this by: (i) establishing an online data clearinghouse to facilitate access to key information regarding the social, environmental and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the nature-based tourism sector and prospective funding sources (emergency relief and stimulus packages) available to mitigate these impacts, and (ii) improving communications and collaboration between financial institutions / donors and nature-based tourism enterprises and local communities to ensure just distribution of relief and stimulus packages. The project is being led by WWF-US as executing agency in collaboration with the Luc Hoffman Institute and WWF as GEF Agency.

The project has 3 key components: 1) Data clearinghouse; 2) Facilitating links between funders, and communities and the nature-based tourism sector; and 3) Monitoring and evaluation and Knowledge Management.

Region: Africa (Southern and eastern Africa)
Focal area: Biodiversity
Project status: Implementation
GEF Project ID: 10625
Implementing Agency:  WWF-US
Executing Agency and partners:  WWF-US
GEF Resources: US $1,953,000

GEF Ageny Fee: US $175,770
Co-financing: US $4,570,000