Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area

Location & Map

On 22 June 2000, the governments of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland signed a protocol on the establishment of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area, which includes five distinct TFCA projects:

Lubombo Conservancy - Goba (Mozambique / Swaziland)

The Lubombo Conservancy, situated in northeastern Swaziland, links several properties into one larger ecological unit. The Conservancy includes the Hlane Royal National Park, Mlawula Nature Reserve, Mbuluzi Game Reserve (private property), Nkhalashane Ranch (government-owned) and the Shewula Community Nature Reserve. Adjoining on the Mozambican side is the Goba district, which is communal land under the jurisdiction of the Goba community. This joint initiative is currently directed by the Swaziland National Trust Commission.

Usuthu-Tembe-Futi TFCA (Swaziland/South Africa/Mozambique)

The proposed TFCA links conservation and resource-use areas in Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland. In South Africa these include Tembe Elephant Park and Ndumo Game Reserve, as well as the Tshanini and Usuthu Gorge Community Conservation Areas. The TFCA was recently extended to include the Usuthu area in Swaziland, thereby making this a Trilateral TFCA. Plans are also underway to incorporate areas to the east and west of Tembe Elephant Park through partnership with local communities. This has the potential of merging Tembe Elephant Park with Ndumo Game Reserve. In Mozambique the project focuses on the Maputo Special Reserve (Reserve Especial de Maputo) and the Futi-corridor, a swamp system that links the Reserve with Tembe Elephant Park. This TFCA will unite an ancient elephant population that used to move freely between Mozambique and South Africa and will enhance the efficiency of biodiversity conservation in a region with high levels of endemicity. Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife currently chairs this joint bilateral initiative.

Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay TFCA (Mozambique/South Africa)

This marine and coastal TFCA will link the Ponta do Ouro-Inhaca coastline of Mozambique with South Africa's iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site. The area is well known for its biodiversity and combines sea coast with extensive wetlands. As with the Ndumo-Tembe-Futi TFCA, this area also contains sensitive breeding grounds of leatherback and loggerhead turtles, currently under threat of human encroachment and uncontrolled harvesting of their eggs.The Mozambican Ministry of Tourism directs this bilateral initiative.

Nsubane-Pongola TFCA (South Africa/Swaziland)

The South African component includes community, public and private land surrounding the Pongola Nature Reserve which forms the core conservation component. In Swaziland the area consists of private land, government-owned land and community areas, all of which are relatively undeveloped with regard to tourism infrastructure.This bilateral initiative is directed by the Swaziland National Trust Commission.

Songimvelo-Malolotja TFCA (South Africa/Swaziland)

This TFCA will link the Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa with the adjacent Malolotja Nature Reserve in Swaziland. The central feature of the proposed TFCA is the Drakensberg Escarpment, which is the dominant physiographic feature of southeastern Africa and its associated highlands and mountains known locally as the Barberton Mountains.