Case Studies

Designated wildlife dispersal areas established in collaboration with local communities are a promising step toward legal agreements to maintain connectivity for wildlife.

The Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) is situated in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where the borders of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge (Figure 1). It spans an area of approximately 520,000 km2 and includes 36 proclaimed protected areas. The KAZA TFCA countries support over 200,000 elephants, most of which are found south of the Zambezi River. Due to human activities, the KAZA TFCA faces habitat fragmentation and loss of connectivity. Protected areas could become isolated ecological islands, leading to reduced biodiversity and blocked elephant movement. The major threats to the area are as follows:

• the deforestation of the area to create fields for agriculture and for making charcoal;
• uncontrolled settlements along main roads and watercourses, which cause fragmentation of the landscape;
• overgrazing of the area due to uncontrolled cattle numbers;
• over-exploitation of fish due to unsustainable fishing practices; and
• uncontrolled fires in the Simalaha floodplain wetland ecosystem.

The KAZA TFCA commenced in 2006 when a memorandum of understanding was signed by the five partner countries to establish the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area. Each of the five countries agreed to create an Integrated Development Plan to indicate how the national development plans will link across borders. The process was also used to create awareness and engage local stakeholders. A Master Integrated Development Plan was created that identifies six transboundary wildlife dispersal areas (WDAs), which are critical to re-establish connectivity and conserve large-scale ecological systems that extend beyond the boundaries of protected areas.

The Zambezi-Chobe Floodplain WDA contains several sensitive areas, mainly along the rivers and associated floodplains, which are not formally protected. Located centrally in this WDA is the Simalaha floodplain in Zambia, which was identified by the communities as a critically important area that should be secured to ensure connectivity between Chobe National Park in Botswana and Kafue National Park in Zambia. The communities recalled that the area used to be a haven for animals, and mobile species such as elephant and buffalo used to move through the area.

Peace Parks Foundation has worked with the Sesheke and Sekute chiefdoms over the past ten years to establish and develop the Simalaha Community Conservancies (180,000 ha) in collaboration with the local traditional leadership and communities to secure the land for conservation. The Sesheke and Sekute chiefdoms created a steering committee made up of members of the Kutas, the two traditional councils. A working group was established, with representation from the Kutas and Peace Parks Foundation, to coordinate activities such as acting as liaison with communities and developing a land-use plan. Peace Parks was requested to assist with fundraising to implement the project. The first funds received assisted with an awareness and sensitization program during which the working group members visited different villages to explain the community conservancy concept. During this time the boundaries of the conservancy were delineated with input from the community. The two chiefs confirmed the boundary by signing a copy of the map, and submitted it to the Ministry of Land for its records.

The Simalaha Community Conservancy is managed on business principles and registered as a legal entity. A local attorney was appointed to assist with the drafting of a constitution and the establishment of an appropriate legal structure. A community trust was created that is the owner of the assets. The trust established a for-profit company that manages the business side of things and also looks after the wildlife management and tourism development. Any profits made by the company are paid to the trust for distribution to the beneficiaries according to a predetermined formula. Seven Village Action Groups were formed to represent the communities. The Simalaha Community Conservancy was officially launched in 2012.

From the start, there was general acceptance of the project and great enthusiasm from the traditional leadership. However, because the development of a wildlife product takes time and significant resources, it was important also to create alternative livelihood options. Conservation agriculture was successfully introduced and became the preferred farming method, producing higher yields than traditional methods.

A 24,000-ha wildlife sanctuary was fenced and stocked with plains game species (wildebeest, Connochaetes spp.; zebra, Equus spp.; defassa waterbuck, Kobus defassa; impala, Aepyceros melampus; red lechwe, Kobus leche; puku, Kobus vardonii; giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis; and buffalo, Syncerus caffer). Initially, around 780 animals were translocated, a number which increased to over 1,400 animals by the end of 2018.

Twenty village scouts were trained to look after the wildlife. In the five years that wildlife has been in the sanctuary, only one poaching incident was recorded – a person from outside the area set snares. The local community reported the incident, showing that the communities have taken ownership of the wildlife. Although fences initially played an important role in containing the translocated wildlife, the long-term plan is to remove them and allow the wildlife to move freely. Seasonal migration of wildlife is already observed, as wildlife move into the woodlands and higher ground during the flooding period and back to the floodplain along the Zambezi River during the dry winter period.

The story of the Simalaha Community Conservancy spread quickly between traditional leaderships and soon other chiefs visited the area to learn more about the project. Other conservancies are being established as a result. Exchange visits with traditional leaders in Namibia may lead to the expansion of existing conservancies on the Namibian side to ensure a link between Chobe National Park to Simalaha Community Conservancy.

The Zambezi-Chobe Floodplain is, at this stage, not a functional WDA. Once existing community conservancies have been expanded and new ones added, the Zambezi- Chobe Floodplain is expected to start functioning as a WDA. Improved law enforcement capacity in Angola and Zambia along the Kwando river is increasing the numbers of elephants moving into Luengue Luiana National Park in Angola because of the increased safety.