Andrew
Online Reporter
WILDLIFE conservation efforts in the Mid Zambezi Valley region – a hotspot for poaching – have been boosted by cross border collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia, thanks to the intervention by an international wildlife management organisation, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).
AWF, which has partnered the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) since 2018, is supporting bilateral engagement for law enforcement agencies, local communities and other key stakeholders between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
To date, AWF has invested over US$10 million in the Mid Zambezi Valley through various efforts, including anti-poaching support, capacity building and provision of equipment.
The international organisation has already drafted a 10-year country conservation strategy for Zimbabwe (2020-2030), in line with the Government’s National Development Strategy (NDS1).
Speaking during a media tour of the Mid Zambezi Valley region at the weekend, AWF country director, Ms Olivia Mufute, said her organisation has a long-term vision for wildlife management in Zimbabwe.
“The impact of the partnership between Zimparks and AWF is seen through cordial relations being witnessed between Zimbabwe and Zambia law enforcement agents. These relations go a long way in combating illegal wildlife trade and poaching as poachers sometimes use rivers as trafficking routes to evade borders.”
The tour covered Mana Pools National Park, Marongora, Chewore South and Chewore North.
Ms Mufute said AWF strives to promote nature-positive social and economic development through building strong partnerships with stakeholders to collectively design conservation solutions in Zimbabwe.
“Our approach to wildlife and wildlands conservation is people-centric, and therefore recognises conservation not as an end in itself, but a medium for attracting sustainable livelihoods and improved standards of living for current and future generations.
The AWF is implementing projects funded by the European Union (EU), under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (CITES MIKE), to reduce poaching and trafficking, which are the major causes of wildlife species decline.
With support from the CITES MIKE grant, AWF has availed four vehicles to Zimparks, and is supporting the installation of digital radio equipment for Chewore North and Chewore South Parks.
New staff houses are being built at Marongora, where a state of the art vehicle workshop is now functional.
Zimparks spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, hailed AWF for enhancing wildlife conservation in the Mid Zambezi Valley region.
“We are extremely grateful for the support that we are getting from the African Wildlife Foundation in terms of supporting our conservation efforts. We all know that conservation is an expensive business and it needs every stakeholder to put hands together,” said Mr Farawo.
“African Wildlife Foundation has been building houses for our rangers, assisting us in sourcing vehicles and they are facilitating joint meetings with our counterparts in Zambia.”
Online Reporter