ZimParks, Peace Parks Foundation in US$ 5m deal
ZIMPARKS has penned an agreement with the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) of South Africa in a bid to ensure sustainable management of the Manna Pools ecosystem.
Through the partnership, ZimParks is bound to receive US$5 million in the next two years to cater for various problems mainly the human-wildlife conflict.
The collaboration also gave birth to “Greater Manna Pools Conservation Trust” which will be dedicated to managing the Manna Pools landscape for an initial period of 20 years.
The trust will bear the crucial responsibility of ensuring the long-term efficient and sustainable management of the area.
Manna Pools is an expansive ecosystem that carries and provides shelter for an immense congregation of Africa’s animal population.
It is a world heritage site and landscape comprising a national park, providing habitat for over 653 terrestrial vertebrates, species-wise, comprising 33 amphibians 145 mammals 19 reptiles and this makes Manna Pools a tremendously valuable ecosystem, the reason it was proclaimed a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
At least 23 of the above-mentioned species are currently threatened and 16 are near threatened. As such, PPF is dedicated to the recapitalisation of Manna Pools and has plans to mobilise US$23, 4 million for the upkeep of this landscape.
US$12, 6 million will be directed at operations while US$10, 8 million will be directed at capital investments. The partnership aims to support ZimParks’ initiatives and implementation of its strategic plan of building and developing the organisation’s capability to discharge its conservation mandate.
The PPF was founded in 1997 by Dr Anton Rupert, President Nelson Mandela and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
It has a long tradition in wildlife conservation and has over the years demonstrated a solid commitment to the future of nature conservation.
It aims to re-establish, renew and conserve large ecosystems in Africa, transcending manmade boundaries by creating regionally integrated and sustainably managed networks of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs). PPF has been involved in the establishment and development of ten of the 18 TFCAs found throughout southern Africa, all of which are in various stages of development.
Zimbabwe is not spared from the global environment crisis which has seen a rapid decline in biodiversity and increased threats to the local ecosystem.
Partnerships have been identified as a crucial instrument in reversing the global biodiversity crisis as commended by the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
PPF chief executive officer, Werner Myburgh, said the funding is to ensure that game parks staff living in the protected area are well looked after, that they have proper accommodation, making sure that they are properly remunerated so that they do their job properly.
He said the funds are also to make sure that surrounding communities are catered for.
“We believe in a model where we partner with Governments for improved management of protected areas, and in this case, we are together establishing a special purpose vehicle called Greater Manna Pools Conservation Trust.
“Financially the trust will be empowered particularly for the vital phase of recapitalisation of Manna Pools, during the first 10 years of operations it’s our joint goal as PPF and ZimParks to mobilise US$23,4 million to recapitalise the landscape placed on a financial sustainable footing.
“This includes US$12, 6 million for operations and US$10, 8 million for capital investments,” said Myburgh.
This is to maintain a functional ecosystem which provides services, of regional and global importance.
Manna Pools stretches along the mighty Zambezi River sharing its boundary with Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia and the two governments (Zimbabwe and Zambian) signed an MoU earlier this year paving way for the development of lower Zambezi Manna Pools Trans-Frontier Conservation Area.
“This commitment to cross border conservation aligns seamlessly with what Peace Parks is about as an organisation.”
ZimParks has been working with PPF providing financial support under the Trans frontier Conservation Area Framework for over two decades. ZimParks director Dr Fulton Mangwanya indicated that biodiversity conservation remains high on the national agenda hence the need for such partnerships which bring in the necessary funding.
“What brings us together is our common objective to address the drivers of biodiversity loss in general and in the Zambezi Valley in particular. We still have challenges in raising revenue from our wildlife resources hence we welcome the creation of this partnership.
“Wildlife Conservation is an expensive endeavour which cannot be left to ZimParks alone and needs a collective response to address challenges like poaching, human-wildlife conflict, climate change as well as the need to balance community livelihoods as they are often victims of human-wildlife conflict without receiving any meaningful benefits from the wildlife, ”Mangwanya said.
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