Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and the Ghananian king of the Akyem Abuakwa, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, will attend the celebrations at the World Parks Congress in the eastern port city of Durban on Tuesday.

The 10-day event, staged by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), has been discussing how to safeguard the world's 100,000 protected areas, endangered species, funding and how to involve communities in conservation.

IUCN Head of Global Programming Bill Jackson said several initiatives to expand protected areas in Africa would be made public at the celebrations.

"We will be announcing a new marine protected area involving 10 countries and about 50 organisations in West Africa," Jackson told reporters but declined to give further details.

The lack of marine conservation has been one of the major concerns highlighted at the congress. Seas and oceans make up only 0.5 percent of the world's protected areas.

The congress has also been talking about developing countries' struggle to maintain protected sites, and how people living in these areas can benefit economically while still sustaining the environment.

An analysis released Friday showed that the bulk of a money shortfall to maintain existing protected areas was in developing countries that need at least another 1.5 billion dollars per year to sustain and manage these sites properly.

Jackson said Ravalomanana was expected to make an important announcement on conservation in his country, which is Africa's largest island and the fourth largest island in the world.

"He is expected to announce an expansion of protected areas," Jackson said.

The congress has identified islands as one of the hot spots containing many endangered species but few protected areas.

Jackson said the new initiatives would form part of the environmental arm of the continent's social and economic recovery plan, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

"It is very important because it is an element of a much broader dialogue within NEPAD," Jackson said.

"We've been strongly engaged in NEPAD and have been supporting the programme where we can, particularly the engagement of civil society on environmental levels."

South African Director General of Environmental Affairs Chippy Olver said a range of issues affecting Africa would be on Tuesday's agenda.

These include building public support for protected areas and linking poverty reduction strategies with conservation.

Improved management and funding, as well as endangered species in Africa will be on the agenda of a panel discussion under the theme "Protected areas as a tool for development."

Mohammed Bakiar, involved in African affairs at Conservation International, said an announcement on additional funding for environmental matters on the continent would be made Tuesday.

"Protected areas have been seen as an alien concept by many Africans," Bakiar said.

"There's a growing need for us to mobilise all Africans to help recognise the importance of protected areas and make it part of their development agenda."

Ravalomanana is expected to attend the closing ceremony Wednesday when the 2,500 delegates from more than 170 countries will adopt a "Durban Accord" mapping out objectives for the next 10 years.

TERRA.WIRE