Transfrontier Park at advanced stage

THE proposed Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KaZa TFCA) will be the largest conservation area in Africa.

The project involves five southern African states: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The significance of the KaZa TFCA lies in the fact that it is an attempt to move away from the conventional paradigm of juxtaposing conservation and development.A recently released progress report says the project is about ensuring sustainable utilisation of natural resources while at the same time fast-tracking underdeveloped populations through tourism.The project is based on the wetlands eco-systems of the Zambezi and Kavango rivers and will be the biggest conservation and tourism area in Africa.Namibia has endorsed its participation the project.Albert Mieze, the Director of Tourism in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, says the project is at an advanced stage and an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding will be signed as soon as Zimbabwe, in which the SADC Secretariat is based, has finalised the draft of the project.In 2003, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe expressed the desire to have a common project on resource management, conservation and tourism in areas straddling their borders.Ministries responsible for environment and tourism in the five countries developed the concept of a common approach to tourism development and management.This was initially known as the Okavango Upper Zambezi Tourism Initiative (Ouzit).But after a number of interactions and working engagements, it was thought that there was a need to involve all stakeholders from grass-roots communities to local and regional governments.”This was to ensure that the affected citizens of the participating countries take ownership of the project,” said the report.It was then decided that Namibia should develop a project concept.Eventually, it was decided to rename the project the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.The significance of the KaZa TFCA lies in the fact that it is an attempt to move away from the conventional paradigm of juxtaposing conservation and development.A recently released progress report says the project is about ensuring sustainable utilisation of natural resources while at the same time fast-tracking underdeveloped populations through tourism.The project is based on the wetlands eco-systems of the Zambezi and Kavango rivers and will be the biggest conservation and tourism area in Africa.Namibia has endorsed its participation the project.Albert Mieze, the Director of Tourism in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, says the project is at an advanced stage and an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding will be signed as soon as Zimbabwe, in which the SADC Secretariat is based, has finalised the draft of the project.In 2003, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe expressed the desire to have a common project on resource management, conservation and tourism in areas straddling their borders.Ministries responsible for environment and tourism in the five countries developed the concept of a common approach to tourism development and management.This was initially known as the Okavango Upper Zambezi Tourism Initiative (Ouzit).But after a number of interactions and working engagements, it was thought that there was a need to involve all stakeholders from grass-roots communities to local and regional governments.”This was to ensure that the affected citizens of the participating countries take ownership of the project,” said the report.It was then decided that Namibia should develop a project concept.Eventually, it was decided to rename the project the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.

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