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Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Defend, a renowned wildlife rescue organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect Chizarira National Park’s biodiversity.
This is seen as a significant step towards safeguarding wildlife in the national park while also ensuring its sustainable development for future generations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony ZimParks’ director-general Dr Fulton Mangwanya said Chizarira had the potential to become a leading example of conservation and tourism in the Sebungwe region and the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA).
Despite challenges such as habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict, Dr Mangwanya expressed optimism about the partnership’s ability to address these issues effectively.
“By combining our expertise and resources, we can enhance the conservation value of Chizarira while improving the livelihoods of neighbouring communities,” he said.
“The ZimParks has a national obligation to contribute to the National Priority Areas of environmental protection, climate resilience, and natural resource management, as well as key result areas in sustainable tourism development and environmental sustainability, as outlined in the Government’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1-2021 to 2025) and the broader vision to achieve a ‘Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030.’ In alignment with these aspirations, the Authority envisions ‘Sustainable Wildlife Conservation for Socio-Economic Development by 2030.’
“This collaborative partnership is a vital vehicle to achieve this vision. At the global level, our country is also a signatory to multiple multilateral environmental agreements aimed at sustainably conserving wildlife and its habitats as part of our global heritage.”
Dr Mangwanya said these agreements address threats to biodiversity and seek to ensure that humanity benefits equitably from the country’s rich biodiversity.
Dr Niall McCann, the executive director of Defend, highlighted the increasing costs associated with wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe due to growing animal populations and human-wildlife conflicts.
Dr McCann said conservation trusts are important as a model for attracting additional resources to support both wildlife protection and community well-being.
“Zimbabwe’s success in conserving its wildlife, with all of the ecosystem services and tourism benefits that flow from that, does bring increased management costs and increased human-wildlife conflict. Through the creation of conservation trusts, Zimbabwe has developed a model that is able to attract significant extra resources into conservation, extra resources that are required to protect the growing populations of animals and the communities that live alongside them.
“It is important to these communities, the people living adjacent to national parks and alongside wildlife, that my attention has turned over the past few years.
“If you had asked me seven years ago what I would be most proud to achieve in Chizarira, I would have told you the reduction in poaching and the return of wildlife, both of which, with our partners in parks, we have achieved.
“This partnership is also about job creation, supporting sustainable development, reducing human animal conflict, growing local economies, and protecting animals.
“Because all of these things are linked, we are a part of nature, not a part from nature and nature is the foundation upon which our economies and our societies are built,” said Dr McCann.
The MoU, which will be in effect for the next 20 years, signifies a long-term commitment to collaboration between ZimParks and Defend in their shared mission to protect Chizarira National Park and its invaluable wildlife.
Stakeholders in wildlife conservation have commended the partnership.
International Fund for Animal Welfare representative, Mr Arnold Tshipa, said partnerships in the conservation sector were of paramount importance.
“We are excited about this partnership because we believe in partnerships in the conservation sector. We have seen the importance of partnerships in the area that we operate and this partnership has started to bear fruits,” he said.
Mr Michael Pelham from Matusadonha Conservation Trust said: “This partnership will attract more tourists into the country.”
World Wide Fund for Nature representative, Mr Itai Chibaya, commended the collaboration.
“Our approach is a more of a landscape approach and we appreciate partnerships. We commend ZimParks and Defend and we know that they came a long way,” he said.
Dr Ranga Huruba from Akashinga concurred with his counterparts.
“What is important is what drives us here is conservation and nothing worth it comes easy. I know with the wisdom of Defend and that of ZimParks, this MoU will bear fruit.”
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