SOUTHERN AFRICAN PEACE PARKS

Kavango-Zambezi

Park Development

The KAZA TFCA has evolved from two initiatives namely, the Okavango Upper Zambezi International Tourism Initiative (OUZIT) and the “Four Corners” Transboundary Natural Resource Management.

However, unlike its predecessors, the KAZA TFCA initiative is owned and led by the governments of the partner countries, with a clear focus on conservation as the primary form of land use and tourism being a by product thereof.

On 24 July 2003, the Ministers responsible for tourism in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe met in Katimo Mulilo, Namibia to discuss the Kavango-Zambezi TFCA.

To encourage ownership by the five countries and to reflect the priorities determined by these countries, the meeting articulated a clear vision for the KAZA TFCA:>'To establish a world-class transfrontier conservation area and tourism destination in the Okavango and Zambezi river basin regions of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe within the context of sustainable development.'

At the same meeting, the Ministers defined the following key elements for the KAZA TFCA:

• Collaborative management planning towards harmonised land use, and a joint inventory of resources, monitoring and research;
• Adjustment of policy and legal frameworks as required;
• Active support for sustainable tourism development;
• Creation of a framework for public and private sector investment and community participation in tourism and other economic activities based on the natural resources of the area;
• Establishing institutional mechanisms to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of the initiative by the five countries; and
• Development of a programme to identify and mobilise resources (financial support and human resources) to achieve the overall objective of the initiative.

In the past few years, the KAZA TFCA authorities have achieved numerous milestones in the establishment and development of the TFCA:

• Between August 2005 and October 2006 a Pre-Feasibility Study on the KAZA TFCA was commissioned and completed. This document is still the main guiding document for activities related to the KAZA TFCA;
• In July 2006 SADC's Integrated Committee of Ministers (ICM) approved and endorsed the KAZA TFCA as a SADC project;
• On 7th December 2006 the Ministers of Environment and Tourism of the five partner countries gathered at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to sign an MoU, agreeing to work towards the establishment of the KAZA TFCA; View video clip
• Regular meetings of the Technical Committee and Ministerial Committee are convened to lead the KAZA planning processes;
• Botswana appointed to the role of Coordinating Country for all KAZA TFCA planning and development processes for the period of January 2007 to December 2008;
• A donor conference was convened in June 2007 attended by over 20 of the world's largest and most well known NGOs and institutions;
• Botswana successfully completed its coordination role and handed over to Namibia who is coordinating the establishment and development processes from January 2009 to December 2010;
• Considerable resources have been mobilised from the international community to establish the TFCA and particularly its governing institutions such as the Secretariat;

• Numerous documents, protocols and consultancies were approved by the Ministerial Committee to enable the development of the TFCA in a coherent and logical manner;
• Marketing tools such as a website, logo and official brochure, were developed;
• A comprehensive and participatory planning process was undertaken by the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), facilitated by Peace Parks Foundation, whereby all affected communities and stakeholders identified their needs and prorities for development in the KAZA TFCA. View video clip The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is being replicated in the other partner countries; and
  
• The KAZA TFCA Secretariat will be fully staffed with officers in each of the partner countries and a permanent office set up in Botswana as per the mandate of the partner countries.