Hands Across Borders

In partnership with Glacier National Park, International Peace Park Expeditions, IUCN's Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group, and several other organizations, the Center designed and facilitated a 4-day workshop for leaders from 28 transboundary conservation initiatives located on six different continents. Through a mix of presentations, problem-solving clinics, and field trips, the participants shared their experiences in catalyzing, enabling, and sustaining transboundary conservation initiatives.

This workshop emerged from the Center’s long-standing experience in cross-boundary collaborative conservation. At the request of the Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group associated with International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Center contributed to an international dialogue in 2013 on best practices to govern transboundary conservation initiatives. The Specialist Group made several presentations at the 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia based on the findings and conclusions of this working group, and in spring 2015, IUCN published best practice guidelines on transboundary conservation (see link below). This publication served, in part, as the inspiration for this international workshop.

Resources

2016 Hands Across Borders Workshop Materials

Program Agenda

Guest Speakers (Videos)

Powerpoint presentations

Media Coverage

International peace parks touted for trans-boundary conservation, Calgary Herald
Border crossings: Conservationists from around the globe gather in Glacier, Missoulian
Bison recovery used as example of cross-border collaboration, KPAX Television
Waterton-Glacier Workshop Draws Land And Wildlife Managers From 70 Countries, Montana Public Radio

Profiles of Participating Transboundary Conservation Initiatives

map of transboundary conservation initiatives

Africa

Greater Mount Nimba Massif Landscape (Liberia, Guiean & Cote d'Ivoire)
Cross River Gorilla Landscape (Cameroon & Nigeria)
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (Mozambique, South Africa & Zimbabwe)
Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Program (Lesotho & South Africa)
Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Secretariat (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia & Zimbabwe)
Sangha River Tri-national Protected Area (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Brazzaville-Congo)
Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (Uganda, D.R. Congo & Rwanda)
Peace Parks Foundation (Numerous Transfrontier Conservation Areas across Southern Africa)

Asia

EcoPeace Middle East (Jordan & Israel)
The Source of Amur Transboundary Nature Reserve (Russia & Mongolia)
Silk Road to Peace (Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Afghanistan & Pakistan)
Dizmar-Arevik Peace Park (Iran & Armenia)
Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (India & Bhutan)
Euphrates-Tigris River Basin (Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia & Jordan)
IUCN-WCPA North Eurasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan)