Angola and the Founder of the Rob Walton Foundation signed, on Tuesday (28), in Washington D.C., a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of environmental conservation, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in ecosystem protection.
The document was signed by the Minister of Environment, Ana Paula de Carvalho, and a representative of the Founder of the Rob Walton Foundation, on the sidelines of the annual gala of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), in the presence of the Vice President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa.
Minister Paula de Carvalho stated that the foundation will finance a sustainable development program that includes six conservation areas in Angola, as part of an initiative that covers 162 conservation areas across Africa.
She detailed that four of these areas are already consolidated, while two are still in the process of formalization.
Among the protected zones mentioned are the Luengue-Luiana National Park, the Mavinga National Park, the Cameia National Park, and a site still under study in Moxico, called Mossouma, located on the border with Zambia, where a transboundary environmental cooperation memorandum already exists.
The minister also referred to the Iona National Park, which operates under a co-management model with African Parks, and will now also benefit from the support of the Oak Foundation and the Robloco Foundation.
Another area highlighted was Lizima, considered an important source of freshwater, currently being classified as a wetland of international importance, within Angola’s efforts to integrate the African conservation network.
The minister further emphasized that Angola currently has 14 conservation areas, with two new units — Serra do Pingano (Uíge) and Morro do Moco (the country’s highest point and an area of great ecological value) — in the process of formalization.
According to the minister, one of the main concerns of African states remains the funding of sustainable development programs.
In this regard, Angola is presenting strategies in Washington to mobilize new financial resources and strengthen international partnerships.
The ICCF annual gala aims to preserve biodiversity and protect unique ecosystems, such as the Amazon rainforest and the Congo Basin, as well as to combat species extinction.
It also seeks to address climate change, protect forests that store large amounts of carbon, and double the area of oceans under protection.
Source: ANGOP
