Conservation without borders

NAMIBIA and Angola have moved a significant step forward towards the creation of a joint trans-border conservation area.

The Angolan news agency Angop reported that the Angolan Cabinet Council recently ratified the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the creation of the Iona-Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Park it signed with Namibia on August 1 2003. Namibia has also ratified the MoU for the proposed conservation area which will encompass an area of 31 540 square kilometres.Dr Fanuel Demas, the Deputy Director of Scientific Support Services in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, told The Namibian that this will now help the MoU to come into force and that it will automatically expire once the treaty has been officially ratified.He said that after the signing of the MoU, the Ministry had conducted a survey of the Iona National Park in April 2004, partially funded by Conservation International.During the survey, Angolan officials were trained in aerial surveying techniques.Namibia is involved in three cross-border conservation initiatives in the SADC region.On November 2, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe will sign a MoU for the creation of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KaZa-TFCA) This park is based on the wetland ecosystems of the Zambezi and Okavango rivers and the proposed target area includes a major part of the Upper Zambezi Basin, the Okavango Basin and the Okavango Delta, which is the largest contiguous wilderness, wetland and wildlife area in the southern African region.On August 1 2003, Namibia and South Africa officially agreed to establish the Ais-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, covering an area of 6 046 square kilometres.The world’s first trans-border park was established in 1932, when the US and Canada united their ecologically linked parks – Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park.Today the impact of that decision is still felt on every continent.Namibia has also ratified the MoU for the proposed conservation area which will encompass an area of 31 540 square kilometres.Dr Fanuel Demas, the Deputy Director of Scientific Support Services in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, told The Namibian that this will now help the MoU to come into force and that it will automatically expire once the treaty has been officially ratified.He said that after the signing of the MoU, the Ministry had conducted a survey of the Iona National Park in April 2004, partially funded by Conservation International.During the survey, Angolan officials were trained in aerial surveying techniques.Namibia is involved in three cross-border conservation initiatives in the SADC region.On November 2, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe will sign a MoU for the creation of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KaZa-TFCA) This park is based on the wetland ecosystems of the Zambezi and Okavango rivers and the proposed target area includes a major part of the Upper Zambezi Basin, the Okavango Basin and the Okavango Delta, which is the largest contiguous wilderness, wetland and wildlife area in the southern African region.On August 1 2003, Namibia and South Africa officially agreed to establish the Ais-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, covering an area of 6 046 square kilometres.The world’s first trans-border park was established in 1932, when the US and Canada united their ecologically linked parks – Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park.Today the impact of that decision is still felt on every continent.