Cross-Border Collaboration In The Malawi-Zambia TFCA

A Malawi-Zambia TFCA conservation week event, entitled ‘Collaborating towards conservation and sustainable livelihoods’, was held in Malawi from 28 October to 1 November 2014.

Participants from Malawi and Zambia included stakeholders from both the conservation and development sectors, local communities and NGOs, thus emphasising the importance of an integrated approach to achieving the TFCA’s goals and objectives.

The overall goal of the TFCA conservation week was to share knowledge and experiences on matters pertaining to conservation and sustainable livelihoods. Topics dealt with included conservation and development challenges, conservation farming practices, sustainable livelihood initiatives and techniques for dealing with human-wildlife conflict.

The Malawi-Zambia TFCA, measuring 30 621 km², is centred around the Nyika Plateau, a high undulating montane grassland plateau that rises over 2 000 m above the bushveld and wetlands of the Vwaza Marsh.

The TFCA’s transboundary biodiversity conservation is supported by planning, institution building, fundraising and capacity building for protected area management in management blocks and is implemented by Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

The Malawi and Zambia governments have received a total amount of $11.09 million from the World Bank/GEF, Royal Norwegian Embassy and Peace Parks Foundation toward the cost of the sustainable management of the TFCA, while the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has committed a further €18 million ($24.1m) to develop the TFCA.

Thanks to the funding already received, vehicles and equipment have been procured for the TFCA and extensive maintenance undertaken on roads, entrance gates and staff houses and offices, while new staff houses have been constructed.

Story by Humphrey Nzima
International Coordinator
Malawi-Zambia TFCA