Peter Tanyanyiwa
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Herald Correspondent
The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, in partnership with BirdLife Zimbabwe and with support from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), on Monday convened a high-level validation session for Protected Area Management Plans (PAMPs) at its corporate headquarters in Harare.
The meeting brought together conservation experts and development partners to review and strengthen draft management plans for Chimanimani National Park, Nyanga National Park and Lake Kyle Recreational Park, alongside associated conservation areas including the Eland
Sanctuary and the Haroni and Rusitu Botanical Reserves.
The plans, which form part of a five-year strategic framework running from 2025 to 2030, are a statutory requirement under Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Act and are designed to guide conservation, tourism development and community engagement across the country’s key biodiversity zones.
Speaking during the session on behalf of ZimParks Director-General Professor Edson Gandiwa, Professor Never Maboko stressed the importance of inclusive and science-driven planning.
“This validation meeting is a critical milestone in ensuring that our management plans are robust, inclusive and responsive to emerging environmental challenges,” he said. “We must use this opportunity to interrogate the plans and strengthen them by addressing any gaps.”
He noted that the plans were the product of extensive stakeholder consultations conducted since 2025, involving conservation partners, local communities and traditional leadership in the Chimanimani, Nyanga and Masvingo districts.
BirdLife Zimbabwe chief executive officer Julia Pierini said the organisation was honoured to lead the planning process.
“Our journey with ZimParks began two years ago through an expression of interest, and we have since walked together with a shared vision of conservation,” she said. “These management plans are essential tools that set clear priorities, guide day-to-day decision-making and help mobilise critical funding for biodiversity protection.”
She added that the plans come at a time when ecosystems are under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution and land-use transformation.
“In an era where wetlands and biodiversity are under threat, it is vital that we share and implement these plans widely to safeguard our natural heritage,” she said.
ZimParks Planning Manager Courage Mutema highlighted the complexity of the planning process, which covered multiple protected areas and involved numerous stakeholders.
“We develop, review and update protected area management plans as part of our core mandate,” he said. “This particular process covered Chimanimani, Nyanga and Lake Kyle, with Chimanimani itself being a complex system incorporating several conservation areas.”
He said the process took over a year to complete due to its scale and the need for inclusive participation.
“We had to ensure that all stakeholders, including local communities, contributed meaningfully. The outcome is a set of plans grounded in empirical evidence and informed decision-making,” he said.
Mutema identified four key thematic areas emerging from the planning process: ecological management, tourism development, community outreach and administration.
“Research is central to all of this. It informs how we respond to climate change, guides biodiversity conservation and ensures that management decisions are evidence-based,” he said.
He added that the next stage would involve formal endorsement and rollout.
“Following this validation, we will move towards official launch and endorsement by the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, after which the plans will be implemented,” he said.
BirdLife Zimbabwe conservation specialist Dr Rob Cunliffe said the validation workshop provided a final opportunity for stakeholders to refine the plans.
“This is the last platform for reflection and input before finalisation. It allows stakeholders to interrogate the findings and ensure the plans are comprehensive and implementable,” he said.
Technical presentations during the session highlighted the use of the Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET), a globally recognised framework for assessing protected area performance.
IMET expert Mr Togarasei Fakarai said IMET provides in-depth analysis across six key elements: context, planning, inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes.
“It is a powerful tool that enables self-assessment, performance comparison and long-term planning consistency,” he said.
IMET assessment results presented at the meeting showed varying levels of management effectiveness, with Nyanga scoring 60.6 percent, Chimanimani 56.8 percent and Lake Kyle 56.5 percent overall.
The assessments also revealed key challenges across the protected areas, including outdated biodiversity data, limited resource inputs, bush encroachment, and constraints in water and wildlife management.
Lake Kyle, which hosts one of Zimbabwe’s largest populations of white rhinoceros, faces additional pressures related to catchment management and maintaining ecological balance within a relatively small area.
Nyanga National Park, meanwhile, was noted for its rich biodiversity, critical water catchment functions and strong tourism potential, while Chimanimani was recognised as an important bird and biodiversity area of international significance.
Participants emphasised the need for sustained funding, strengthened research capacity and enhanced community participation to ensure successful implementation of the plans.
The validation session is expected to be followed by a formal launch event to be hosted by the French Embassy in mid-May, bringing together conservation stakeholders and development partners to mark the official adoption of the management plans.
Once endorsed, the plans will guide conservation and development activities in the targeted protected areas over the next decade, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s commitment to sustainable natural resource management.
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