Mozambique Case Study Example
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Mozambique Case study example - Principle 7: The Great Limpopo Transfontier Park - "managing ecosystems at a broader scale - and building regional partnerships" The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park also known as the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park is an international game park that brings together some of the best and most established wildlife areas in southern Africa. The park is managed as an integrated unit across an unprecedented three international boundaries. The conservation authorities in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe will collaboratively manage wildlife and natural resources in the different areas to promote biodiversity conservation, and in a manner which will benefit local communities and regional tourism. The park includes South Africa¡¦s Kruger National Park and Gonarezhou Park in Zimbabwe. A large wildlife area in Mozambique, the Limpopo National Park, will be added and introduced for the first time to the general public in the near future. The total surface area of the Great Limpopo park will be approximately 35 000 square kilometres. The establishment of the transfrontier park is the first phase of the establishment of a bigger transfrontier conservation area measuring a staggering 100 000 square kilometres. Definitions vary, but essentially all a transfrontier park means is that the authorities responsible for areas in which the primary focus is wildlife conservation, and which border each other across international boundaries, formally agree to manage those areas as one integrated unit according to a streamlined management plan. These authorities also undertake to remove all human barriers within the Transfrontier Park so that animals can roam freely. Slightly different, a transfrontier conservation area usually refers to a cross-border region where the different component areas have different forms of conservation status, such as Private Game Reserves, communal natural resource management areas, and even hunting concession areas. Fences, major road highways, railway lines or other barriers may separate the various parts. Nevertheless, they border each other and they are managed for long-term sustainable use of natural resources, although free movement of animals between the different parts is not possible. Political boundaries very rarely respect ecological systems. In the past historical animal migration routes and other ecosystem functions have been disrupted by fences and incompatible legislation. The creation of transfontier parks aims to maintaining more natural ecosystems, jointly managed according to harmonized wildlife management policies, and thus promoting the return of a larger and more resilient ecosystems with greater chances of long-term sustainability (Ministry of Environment & Tourism, South Africa). References: Direccao Nacional de Áreas de Conservação (Mozambique; Tel: ++ 258 1 303650; Fax: ++ 258 1 306212); Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism South Africa, http://www.environment.gov.za); South African National Parks (South Africa; www.parks-sa.co.za), The Peace Parks Foundation (South Africa; http://www.peaceparks.org), Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management (Zimbabwe; Tel: ++ 263 4 792 786; Fax: ++ 263 4 724 914); CBD webpage: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/case- studies/ .