Africa’s Time for Nature: Why the Africa Biodiversity Summit Matters

When leaders, scientists, and conservationists gather in Gaborone for the first-ever Africa Biodiversity Summit, they won’t just be attending another environmental conference. They’ll be shaping a vision for Africa’s future — one where nature is not an afterthought but the foundation of development.

Africa’s Greatest Wealth Is Natural
Africa holds a quarter of the world’s biodiversity — from the rainforests of the Congo Basin to the coral reefs of the Western Indian Ocean, from the savannas that sustain our wildlife to the wetlands that nourish our people.
This vast natural wealth fuels agriculture, tourism, water systems, and medicine. It provides jobs, food, and energy for millions. Yet, despite its power, biodiversity has long been undervalued in Africa’s economic planning.
The Africa Biodiversity Summit is a chance to change that. It’s a moment to recognize that protecting nature is not a luxury; it’s an investment in our future — in our health, economies, and survival.

One Continent, One Voice
Nature doesn’t recognize borders. Rivers, wildlife, and climate systems connect us all. Yet, for decades, Africa’s conservation efforts have been fragmented — divided by geography, politics, and competing priorities.
The Summit is a call for unity. It offers a platform for countries to come together, speak with one voice, and shape a common vision for how biodiversity can drive Africa’s growth.
From the Sahel to the Serengeti, Africa faces shared challenges — climate shocks, habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade, and unsustainable land use. But together, the continent also holds shared solutions: rich ecosystems, deep indigenous knowledge, and a youthful population ready to innovate.
This Summit is where those strengths meet a collective commitment to action.

Putting People at the Center

AWF STAFF ARIANNE FONDJO HUGS MANGO'O CLAUTILDE IN HER FARM IN DJA RESERVE, CAMEROUN

In Africa, biodiversity isn’t an abstract concept. It’s the foundation of everyday life. It’s the fisherman in Senegal, the farmer in Malawi, the beekeeper in Uganda. It’s the millions of families who depend on healthy ecosystems for food, water, and income.
That’s why conservation in Africa must begin — and end — with people. Protecting biodiversity means empowering communities to benefit from nature’s abundance while ensuring its sustainability.
Across the continent, we’ve seen how local stewardship delivers lasting impact: villages managing community forests, youth driving reforestation, women leading green enterprises. The Summit will spotlight these homegrown successes, showing that Africa’s conservation story is one of inclusion and opportunity.

Biodiversity Is Development
Africa’s economies are built on nature. Healthy forests regulate rainfall for farms. Pollinators sustain crops. Marine ecosystems feed coastal communities. Wildlife drives tourism and revenue. When biodiversity thrives, so does development.
But when ecosystems are degraded, the effects ripple widely — food insecurity, water scarcity, rising disease, and economic instability. Recognizing biodiversity as the backbone of resilience means designing policies that protect it — not as an environmental add-on, but as central to Africa’s prosperity.
At the Summit, leaders and experts will explore how to integrate biodiversity into planning, finance, and governance. From sustainable agriculture and clean energy to climate adaptation and urban planning, nature must become part of every development decision.

Africa’s Moment to Lead 

Attendees during the inaugural Africa Biodiversity Summit

The global community is waking up to the urgency of protecting biodiversity, but Africa’s leadership is essential. With its vast natural resources and youthful innovation, the continent can show the world that economic growth and ecological health are not opposites — they are partners.
The Africa Biodiversity Summit is a platform to define that vision on African terms: where conservation strengthens economies, where climate solutions are nature-based, and where protecting the continent’s ecosystems is seen as protecting its people.
This is Africa’s moment to lead not from the margins of global debates, but from the center — with bold ideas, united action, and a shared belief that our future depends on what we do today.

About the Africa Biodiversity Summit
The Africa Biodiversity Summit, taking place from 2–5 November 2025 at the Royal Aria Convention Centre in Gaborone, Botswana, is more than a meeting — it’s a rallying call for action. As the host country’s Minister of Environment and Tourism said in the opening session, “this is where science meets policy, and evidence turns into action.”
The Summit brings together leaders, experts, and communities to transform Africa’s biodiversity commitments into tangible outcomes — restored ecosystems, protected species, and livelihoods that are both sustainable and dignified. It’s a shared space for collaboration, innovation, and unity — a powerful step toward ensuring that Africa’s prosperity is built not at the expense of nature, but through its protection.
AWF is honored to be engaging as one of the Summit’s key partners, hosting a strategic sustainable finance bootcamp, co-convening the Ministerial High-Level Dinner with the Government of Botswana and the African Union, and engaging with Heads of State present. We plan to continue building upon strategic partnerships such as the Africa Protected Area Directors and the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership as we celebrate Africa’s commitment to biodiversity and share our commitments that advance our collaborative efforts at this first Africa Biodiversity Summit.