Leveraging Paradiplomacy for Enhanced Cooperation and Sustainability: Analysing Cross-Border Cooperation in the Maloti–Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area Through its Working Groups

Abstract

This article examines the role of paradiplomacy in the Maloti–Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area through the strategic interventions of its working groups. The Maloti–Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area is also referred to as the Maloti–Drakensberg Transfrontier Project/Programme (where Project was later changed to Programme). The study uses a qualitative desktop-based approach. It analyses literature, policy documents and stakeholder communications to assess the ways in which these working groups facilitate cross-border cooperation among subnational actors, including local governments, NGOs, private companies and community organisations in South Africa and Lesotho. The study focuses on four key working groups, namely, Biodiversity and Protected Areas, Tourism, Cultural Heritage, and Bilateral Security. It explores their contributions to biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism, cultural heritage preservation, and regional security. The findings demonstrate the ways in which paradiplomacy strengthens institutional collaboration, enhances local governance and fosters inclusive community participation. Based on these insights, the study provides policy recommendations for improving multilevel governance, securing sustainable funding and advancing transfrontier cooperation in similar ecological and socio-economic contexts.