Protected Area Management Plan: 2011
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Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Protected Area Management Plan: 2011 Prepared by Udidi Environmental Planning and Development Consultants and Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Protected Area Management Planning Unit Citation: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. 2011. Protected Area Management Plan: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg. TABLE OF CONTENT 1. PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF HIP: ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 SIGNIFICANCE ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 4 2.4 LOCAL AGREEMENTS, LEASES, SERVITUDE ARRANGEMENTS AND MOU’S .......................................................... 6 2.5 BROADENING CONSERVATION LAND USE MANAGEMENT AND BUFFER ZONE MANAGEMENT IN AREAS SURROUNDING HIP ............................................................................................................................................ 7 3. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................................... 1 3.1 ORIGIN OF THE NAME ........................................................................................................................................ 1 3.2 LOCATION AND EXTENT ...................................................................................................................................... 1 3.3 PREVIOUS LAND USE .......................................................................................................................................... 1 3.4 CONSERVATION HISTORY ................................................................................................................................... 2 3.5 CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 3.6 TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................................................. 5 3.7 HYDROLOGY ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.8 VEGETATION ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.9 WILDLIFE .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 3.10 CULTURAL HERITAGE ........................................................................................................................................ 15 3.11 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................. 16 3.12 INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................. 18 4. MISSION STATEMENT, MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND CONSERVATION TARGETS ........................................ 21 4.1 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ...................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 MISSION ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 4.3 VISION .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 4.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES (PRIORITY RATINGS IN PARENTHESIS) .................................................................. 22 4.5 CONSERVATION TARGETS ................................................................................................................................. 23 5. ZONATION ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 5.1 ZONATION CATEGORIES ................................................................................................................................... 26 5.2 ZONATION PLAN .............................................................................................................................................. 27 6. OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES, INDICATORS OF CONCERN AND ACTION PROJECTS .............................................. 29 6.1 POTENTIAL THREATS ........................................................................................................................................ 29 6.2 FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 30 6.3 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................... 32 6.4 SECURITY AND SAFETY ...................................................................................................................................... 35 6.5 ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................ 35 6.6 CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. ............................................................................................................. 48 6.7 ECO-CULTURAL TOURISM ................................................................................................................................. 49 6.8 ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION, AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ............................................................... 50 6.9 RESEARCH......................................................................................................................................................... 51 6.10 SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING ................................................................................................................... 51 6.11 INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................... 53 7 REVIEW AND AMENDMENT PROCEDURES ........................................................................................................ 55 7.1 FIVE-YEARLY REVIEW AND AMENDMENT PROCEDURES ................................................................................... 55 7.2 ANNUAL REVIEW AND AMENDMENT PROCEDURES ......................................................................................... 55 Preface This Protected Area Management Plan for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the primary and overarching management document for the Park for the five year period from the date of approval. It forms the framework within which the Park will be managed and developed towards the achievement of its management objectives derived in collaboration with the Park stakeholders. The protected area management planning process and the resultant planning documents (elaborated on in the next few pages, has been designed to meet the statutory requirements of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act and other relevant legislation. The protected area management planning process requires participation from the Park stakeholders, the general public and specialists during the various stages of plan development and implementation. Although the Protected Area Management Plan and its sub-components are five year planning documents, an annual review process will ensure an active adaptive management planning approach. A long term business approach has also been introduced that ensures that the Parks management objectives are operationalised and reflected in the Park’s operational budget over the next five years. A Business Plan will at the same time actively pursue additional and improved funding and income towards the achievement of the natural and cultural heritage conservation objectives of the Park over the next five years. Emzemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife as the designated Management Authority for Hluhluwe- iMfolozi Park hereby commits itself to the implementation of this plan. Dr Bandile Mkhize Chief Executive Officer Date: Protected area management planning process framework for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Overview The Protected Area Management Planning process used for the Park has Integrated Planning components and Operational Planning components, each with a five-year timeframe that is reviewed annually. They are: Integrated Planning Components 1. Protected Area Management Plan (PAMP) is the primary overarching protected area planning document that describes the administrative and legal framework, contextual background, public participation processes followed, vision / mission statements, prioritised management objectives, zonation as well as a management policy framework and guidelines. The