Republic of Angola Ministry of Environment FRAMEOWRK
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Republic of Angola Ministry of Environment FRAMEOWRK REPORT ON ANGOLA’S BIODIVERSITY By: SOKI KUEDIKUENDA AND MIGUEL. N.G. XAVIER LUANDA, 2009 TECHINCAL TEAM: Copyright 2009 Ministry of Environment Street Frederic Engles Nº 98 Postal box 83 Luanda, Angola This report was compiled by Soki Kuedikuenda and Miguel Neto Gonçalves Xavier in order to be presented to the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The presentation benefited from inputs by: • Nkosi Luyeye, Deputy director of the national Institute on Fisheries Research (INIP), Ministry of Fisheries; • Vangajala Soqui, head of department of Biology, Sciences Faculty, Agostinho Neto University; • Elisabeth Matos, Director of National Centre for Phito-genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture; • António Alcochete, Director of Centre for Scientific Research, Ministry of Sciences and Technology; • Maria Sardinha, Researcher of the National Institute for Fisheries Research. • Silvy Nsiangangu, Researcher of the National Institute for Fisheries Research. • Kavungu Paulo Marlon, National Director for Minerals, Ministry of geology and Mines; • Esperança Costa, Coordinator of the Botanical Centre, Science Faculty, Agostinho Neto University. The information contained in this publication may reproduced since the source is quoted. Legal deposit Number of copies Printing and finishing: Ponto Um. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Angola’s biological diversity is one of the richest ones in Africa; this is due to various factors, whereby the main ones are: the country’s surface; geographical location; ecosystem diversity (land, marine and coastal) and the fact that Angola has been a refugee zone over the last glacial period. The land ecosystems are represented by four biomes. The most important one in terms of surface is the Zambezian biomes, which covers more than 85% of the national territory surface, while the Guinea-Congolese, though it represents only 10.7%, it contains the major wealth of the country. The Karoo-Namibe(2.6%) and the Afro-Upstream (0.5%) host equally a huge diversity of species, whereby the Afro-upstream is considered as a hotspot of water fauna in Africa with a high number of endemic species. The knowledge available about the biological diversity in this biomes in most cases is limited to big animals, i.e. the fantastic fauna e and big trees. There are little information about the small and medium animals and trees without immediate economic interest. In general, the land biodiversity situation is promising. Notwithstanding the situation of flora which is different from the flora’s and that some biomes are under a major atrophic pressure than others. The situation of guinea-Congolese biomes is of major concern since it does not have any type of protection. It is worth to underscore the efforts by the Ministry of Environment to protect the Maiombe Forest which represents almost 90% of the Guinea-Congo biomes in Angola by establishing a Trans-frontier Conservation Area in partnership with the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Conservation Areas represent 6.6% of the country’s surface area, majorly divided in Zambezian biomes. These areas include National Parks, Regional Parks, Integral Reserves and Partial Reserves. Most part of these areas has been abandoned during the war time, whereas the current situation is that of recovery of the National Parks. The abandoned infrastructures of the three National Parks have already been recovered and their administrations re-installed, namely the National Parks of Kissama ( Bengo), Cangandala (Malanje) and Bicuar (Huila). A re-assessment study on the situation of the National parks of Mupa, Iona and Cameia is underway. Major part of the National Parks, if not all, had been occupied by the surrounding communities during the war. Today the impact resulting from human activities is notable in all parks. The Ministry of Environment considering this situation has thought of drafting plans for the management of each National Park or Conservation Area in order to enable sustainable use of resources by the populations in the areas. 2 The updating of Laws and Regulations governing the functioning of Conservation Areas in light of current knowledge is a one of the concerns of the Ministry of Environment, considering that the current laws date from the colonial period. The inclusion of the communities in the management of the Conservation areas deserve a special attention of the Ministry of Environment, as great deal number of forestry guards deployed in National Parks are indigenous people of the surrounding communities. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) has enabled the identification of key sectors for the knowledge and conservation of Angolan Biodiversity. Eight Strategic Areas have been identified to be implemented between 2007 -2012, each one with various objectives and actions. Though the implementation is not effective (only 5% of the foreseen action have been realized), some outcomes have been achieved which helped in deepening the knowledge on the country’s biodiversity, and attain some Millennium Development Goals enshrined in the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). With an extent of about 1650km of coast, characterized by Benguela Current (cold waters) and warm waters coming from the North, the Angolan coastal zone is abundant in species from phytoplankton to osseous fishes .Recent studies indicate more than eight (8) different habitats along the coast. More than 420 fish species have been identified and 655 crustaceous species have been found in Angolan waters. Some cruises made enabled the observation of whales and dolphins in the marine zone. The presence of sea turtles on the Angolan coasts (Luanda, Soyo and Cabinda) makes evidence the existence of this wealth. Human pressure is mainly felt on the coast; therefore the animals moving in these areas are always under a huge anthropogenic pressure. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAP) have enabled to identify the key sectors for the knowledge and conservation of the Angolan biodiversity. Eight Strategic areas have been identified to guide its implementation from 2007 to 2012, each one with various objectives and actions. Two years after its approval by the Council of Ministers, its execution is estimated only at 5% of the foreseen actions, due to various reasons. The Ministry of Environment is working in order to include, apart from its natural partners, (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries, and State Secretariat for Waters, Science Faculty, Natural History Museum, Luanda Herbarium and the Centre for Phytogenetic Resources) other partners such as the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finances (Customs) and private universities. At sub-regional and Regional levels, the Government of Angola, through the Ministry of Environment, is involved in projects towards the establishment of four Transboundary Conservation Areas. Angola joined various Sub-regional and Regional commissions, and 3 is endeavoring others such as GRASP (Convention on Gorillas) and the COMIFAC (Central African Forest Commission). At international level, the Government of Angola acceded to various International Instruments such as the CBD (Convention on Biodiversity), the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and is engaged in acceding to other Conventions. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 1: - GENERAL SITUATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY TRENDS AND THREATS ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.2.- LAND BIODIVERSITY ......................................................................................................... 12 1.2.2.- Fauna ....................................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.3.- Fresh Water biodiversity.......................................................................................................... 17 1.2.4.- Biodiversity in Conservation Areas......................................................................................... 18 1.2.4.1 Bicuar National Park .......................................................................................................... 20 1.2.4.6 National Park of Mupa....................................................................................................... 25 1.3.- MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY ....................................................................... 27 1.3.1.- Intertidal Area Biodiversity (sandy beach) .............................................................................. 28 1.3.2.- Marine biodiversity (deep waters) ........................................................................................... 28 1.3.3.- Fish biodiversity ...................................................................................................................... 29 1.3.4.- Phytoplankton Biodiversity ..................................................................................................... 30 1.3.5. - Zooplankton Biodiversity ......................................................................................................