WE CAN SAVE A NATIONAL PARK FOR A MILLION DOLLARS
TLDR; >>> Recent U.S. foreign assistance cuts have put approximately USD 9 million of African Parks’ 2025 budget at risk. This abrupt loss jeopardizes essential humanitarian programs, ranger salaries, and conservation efforts across multiple sites, directly impacting the people who depend on these landscapes and the wildlife they harbor. Critical funding intended to empower local communities, strengthen law enforcement, and safeguard biodiversity is now in question. One park in particular, Garamba, was severely impacted more than others. Because of the unique location (Congo / South Sudan border), and the presence of military and poaching activity, Garamba was more reliant on US funding given the pressures and home to one of the largest elephant and giraffe populations in the region, including maintaining the welfare of over 100,000 people. The national park is facing a 3M USD funding gap, and we are helping them raise 1M of this gap, and are asking for your support.
INTRO TO AFRICAN PARKS >>> African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on responsibility for the long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 23 protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. African Parks manage an area totaling approximately 60% of the area of our US National Park System. The US park system operates on a budget of $3.5 billion, and African Parks on $140 million (4%)
WHY AFRICA UNIQUELY MATTERS >>> To reduce the impacts of climate change such as drought, flooding and famine, while maintaining healthy ecosystem services to provide food security, and clean water and air, experts say that 30% of the planet must be protected. Africa harbours 25% of the world’s biodiversity, but it’s also estimated that the continent’s population will increase three times by 2100. The marriage of these two realities is critical to integrate intelligently. Coupled with the impacts of climate change, weak governance, and lack of funding most of Africa’s existing protected areas and national parks that harbor rich biodiversity are severely under-resourced. Protecting nature that is still intact costs an average of US$6/ha per year, compared to US$1,500/ha to restore ecosystems that have been destroyed. Not only is biodiversity protection more cost effective, it is also a lot quicker than restoring nature to the level of providing a full suite of vital ecosystem services.
WHY IS THERE A FUNDING PROBLEM NOW?
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE CUTS >>> Recent U.S. foreign assistance cuts have put approximately USD 9 million of African Parks’ 2025 budget at risk. This abrupt loss jeopardizes essential humanitarian programs, ranger salaries, and conservation efforts across multiple sites, directly impacting the people who depend on these landscapes and the wildlife they harbour. Critical funding intended to empower local communities, strengthen law enforcement, and safeguard biodiversity is now in question.
IMMEDIATE 2025 NEED >>> African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on responsibility for the long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 23 protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. African Parks manage an area totaling approximately 60% of the area of our US National Park System. The US park system operates on a budget of $3.5 billion, and African Parks on $140 million (4%)
VERY LITTLE MONEY FOR A COLOSSAL OUTCOME
GARAMBA IS MASSIVE >>> At 5100 sq. km, Garamba larger than Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks combined. Furthermore, Garamba lies in an equatorial zone in one of the most biodiverse regions of the planet, areas where slash and burn agricultural techniques release a devastating amount of carbon compared to similar acreage anywhere else. More here
100,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS >>> Roughly 100,000 people live around the park, in a region with little economic opportunity. Community development is central to the long-term sustainability of Garamba National Park, with a key focus on education, healthcare and alternative livelihoods. Garamba directly employs over 500 full-time local staff, and the park’s community team works with surrounding communities on a variety of socio-economic projects and environmental awareness programs. More than 13,000 community members were engaged in awareness-raising sessions run by the park in 2023, and almost 20,000 people received healthcare through the African Parks-supported hospital, as well as mobile clinics servicing the broader landscape.
THE ANIMALS YOU LOVE >>> Garamba National Park is home to the only notable elephant and giraffe populations in the region and is one of the most critically important ecological landscapes in Africa. Vast undulating grassland savannah are found amidst dense dry forest. With abundant food and water resources, the park provides excellent habitat for a full suite of large herbivores, from hippo to roan antelope. African Parks’ journey in this landscape has not been easy, and the park teams have faced immense challenges over the years. Once home to over 20,000 elephant and thousands of other species, Garamba endured many years of poaching, leading to plummeting wildlife numbers by the turn of the century. Elephant poaching was at an all-time high in 2014, with over 130 poached in one year. While they have learned some extremely hard lessons along the way, and through working together with the Congolese Government and our other partners, the Garamba landscape is finally seeing stability. Through an effective conservation law enforcement strategy using world-class technology, elephant poaching has almost entirely stopped.
READY TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT? LET'S GO!
1 / African Parks Funding Gap Factsheet
See the numbers and facts behind why Garamba is the most affected park in the AP network from USAID cuts.
2 / About Garamba National Park
See some more information on Garamba National Park, and how it protects wildlife, biodiversity, and human welfare.
3 / YOU Can Effect Massive Change
Please consider a meaningful donation. For donations over $25,000, please contact us directly HERE
