Transfrontier conservation areas, also known as peace parks, are ecological systems that straddle the boundaries of neighbouring countries. Peace Parks Foundation assists countries to create peace parks, thus enabling harmonised management of ecosystems shared across international borders. Wild animals, and tourists, are able to move across borders where once there were fences. In this manner, ecosystems are managed as a unified entity and not separately by the countries involved. The creation of peace parks thus leads to improved biodiversity conservation through improved land and ecosystem management. Peace parks development also contributes to improving socio-economic circumstances of people living in and around these areas through sustainable community conservation and eco-tourism initiatives.
In many cases, if not for the establishment of peace parks, these wildlife areas would not obtain the necessary protection and resources. Furthermore, these peace parks have huge potential to improve people's livelihoods. Over the next 10 years, and through the creation of peace parks and associated eco-tourism, Peace Parks Foundation aims to create one million additional jobs in southern Africa. For every eight new tourists one job is created and eight mouths are fed. Thus the ultimate goal is to encourage eight million new tourists to visit southern African peace parks.