Deborah Kahatano is an ecologist with vast experience in the field of conservation, natural resource management, agribusiness and tourism development in Eastern and Southern Africa. She is currently working for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat as senior program officer responsible for natural resources and wildlife. Her portfolio includes forestry, fisheries, wildlife and trans-frontier conservation areas (TFCAs). Ms. Kahatano is passionate about TFCAs and has been involved in different aspects of transboundary natural resource management for more than a decade. She has worked with bilateral and multilateral international development agencies including USAID, UNDP/GEF (The Global Environment Facility) and IUCN, as well as public and private sectors. Ms. Kahatano holds a B.Sc. in Zoology and Wildlife Ecology and a M.Sc. in Applied Ecology from the University of Dar es Salaam.