SOUTHERN AFRICAN PEACE PARKS

|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

Overview

Mission

To collaboratively establish and manage on a sustainable basis a viable |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park with full stakeholder participation, including local communities, fostering regional co-operation, biodiversity conservation and cross-border socio-economic development.

Vision

To achieve inter-state collaboration in the conservation of transboundary ecosystems and their associated biodiversity, promoting cross-border tourism and sustainable use of natural resources to improve the quality of life of the peoples of Namibia and South Africa.

Objectives

The objectives of the Transfrontier Park are:

• to foster transnational collaboration and co-operation between the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of south Africa in implementing ecosystem management through the establishment and development of the Transfrontier Park.
• to promote alliances in the management of biological and cultural resources, encouraging social, economic and other partnerships among the parties and stakeholders.
• to enhance ecosystem integrity and natural ecological processes by harmonising wildlife management procedures across international boundaries and strive to remove artificial barriers impeding the natural movement of wildlife.
• to develop frameworks and strategies through which local communities can participate in, and tangibly benefit from, the management and sustainable use of natural resources that occur within the Transfrontier Park.

• to promote cross-border tourism as a means of fostering socio-economic development.

Name (origin, background)

Until a name is decided upon, the names of the existing protected areas, i.e. the |Ai-|Ais Hot Springs Game Park in Namibia and the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa are used. The final name will be determined by way of a public participation process.

Challenges

The establishment and development of each peace park brings about its own set of unique characteristics, constraints and opportunities and the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is no different.

Land Ownership

On the South African side the Transfrontier Park consists of the Richtersveld National Park, a contractual park owned by the Richtersveld communities and managed jointly with South African National Parks (SANParks). A special management structure allows full participation by the local communities through elected members who represent the four towns in the area (i.e. Khuboes, Sanddrift, Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein),as well as the local pastoralists. This approach incorporates both the communities' local indigenous skills and the scientific expertise of SANParks in the management of the area. The objective of this unique arrangement is to preserve the traditional lifestyle and culture of the Nama people, conserve the great biodiversity of the Richtersveld and optimise the economic potential of the region.

All the land in question on the Namibian side of the border is state-owned. The Ai-Ais Hot Springs Game Park was proclaimed in three portions between 1 April 1968 and 15 March 1988. Initially only a small area of 15 537 ha was proclaimed (official Gazette No. 2869, 1 April 1968) but this was soon enlarged to 46 493 ha (official Gazette No. 3035, 15 December 1969). The park was enlarged to its present size of 309 627 ha in 1988 (official Gazette No. 5510, 15 March 1988). The latest expansion included the spectacular Huns Mountains, which adjoin the Richtersveld National Park along the international border formed by the Orange River.

Joint Management

Following the signing by the Presidents of Namibia and South Africa of the international treaty that established the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park on 1 August 2003, Ministers Philemon Malima of Namibia and Valli Moosa of South Africa on Saturday, 28 February 2004 appointed a Joint Management Board which meets regularly.

Community Participation

Community participation is vital to the development of the Transfrontier Park as the land belongs to the communities (see Land Ownership above). Extensive consultation is an essential part of the project.

Nama Culture

The Nama people in the southern Karas region have had links with their counterparts in the broader Richtersveld for a long time. The Orange River border was originally crossed at Sendelingsdrift in order to visit friends and family and this was again made possible when the Sendelingsdrift Tourist Access Facility opened in October 2007.

Their traditional lifestyle is based on nomadic pastoralism with archaeological evidence dating as far back as 2000 years ago. The Namas have lived and sustained themselves in this difficult and fragile environment by maintaining an intimate familiarity and respect for the land.

More recently, a variety of socio-economic and political factors have caused the Nama people to change from a fully nomadic to a semi-nomadic way of life. Stock farmers now have permanent homes in towns, while herding their flocks from place to place according to the quality of grazing. As their cultural heritage is a great asset, it is important to the people to receive and conserve their culture. The Nama language has been reintroduced into schools and various music and dance groups are emerging.