Land degradation is a major concern in the region with communal lands
as pressure spots. Degradation is observed mainly as overgrazing and
deforestation, leading to soil erosion, desertification and bush encroachment.
The shrinking of protected areas in the region is critical, leading to
habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. Especially the fragmentation
of habitats causes increasing human-wildlife conflicts with migrating animals.
Common approaches to conservation are community based natural
resource management and transboundary planning and conservation
which are also relevant for cross-border transfers of water.