Kaza TFCA Secretariat And Peace Parks Foundation Formalise Coorperation

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) and Peace Parks Foundation have worked together since the inception of KAZA. On 8 April 2016, the KAZA Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Morris Mtsambiwa and Peace Parks Foundation CEO, Mr Werner Myburgh, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalise the long-standing cooperation and partnership in the development of KAZA TFCA. The MoU provides direction on areas of collaboration.

KAZA TFCA, and the involvement of Peace Parks Foundation, dates back to 2003 when the ministers responsible for environment, natural resources, wildlife and tourism of the five partner countries, i.e. Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, agreed to establish a TFCA in the Okavango and Upper Zambezi river basins, aimed at transboundary natural resource conservation and tourism development, as one of the key drivers for socio-economic development of the region.

Since then a lot of work has gone into a feasibility study, facilitated and co-funded by Peace Parks Foundation, and into supporting the KAZA partner countries in the management of their shared natural resources. Integrated development plans for the partner countries, as well as for the TFCA as a whole, were also drafted to promote the sustainable and equitable development, utilisation and management of KAZA TFCA.

Projects and programmes in the TFCA are implemented by the KAZA partner countries, facilitated by the KAZA TFCA Secretariat, with technical and financial management support from Peace Parks Foundation. The latter has also been responsible for securing much of the donor funds that have supported the development of KAZA TFCA, notably the major support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, through the German Development Bank, KfW, for which Peace Parks Foundation is the project execution agent.

There are several other partners that have been actively involved in the development of the TFCA, through financial and technical support. These include but are not limited to: World Wide Fund for Nature; African Wildlife Foundation; The Dutch Ministry Of Foreign Affairs; FUTOURIS; World Bank; Integrated Rural Development And Nature Conservation; and Wildlife Conservation Society. The KAZA Secretariat strongly supports stakeholder participation and the formation of alliances with international cooperating partners. This is seen as a strategy that will help attain the KAZA TFCA goals and objectives.

Mr Werner Myburgh said: “Peace Parks Foundation remains very proud to be part of this African success story. We applaud the political will of the partner countries, as well as the hard work of everyone involved. We also sincerely thank the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development, through KfW, for their tremendous support to KAZA TFCA.”

Story and first photo courtesy of the KAZA TFCA Secretariat