Project Detail

The Convention on Biological Diversity - Regional and International Implementation on Sustainable Use and Conservation of Ecosystems

The Governments of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe agreed in November 2000 to create the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park. The potential impact of this initiative is to consolidate the fragmented protected areas of Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Kruger National Park in South Africa, the Binane and Zinave National Parks in Mozambique and Countada 16 in Mozambique. This will result in the creation of one large transfrontier conservation area of approximately 50 000 square kilometres.

This planning grant is to support the collection of data in the field. The activities include the identification of two Zimbabwean communities to work within the proposed wildlife corridor, identify 2 sites of ecological interest for protection where there is high wildlife activity and where community activities are taking place. The sites will be used as demonstration models for the Convention on Bioldogical Diversity (CBD) work programme. The planning grant will facilitate the development of the proposal which will be submitted to GEFSGP for funding and has an opportunity to be scaled up for medium size grant funding.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Africa Resources Trust

Country:

Zimbabwe

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 2,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 3,000.00

Project Number:

ZIM/02/03

Start Date:

12/2002

End Date:

12/2003

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

About 65 - 70% of the population in the area are women. These will be actively involved in planning, implementation and overall project management. Since the project lies in the drier parts of Zimbabwe, it will be useful opportunity for women to engage in eco tourism and other livelihood options which will help to improve their standard of living.

Notable Community Participation

Although the agreement between the three governments was signed at National Level, the project focuses on assisting communites living along the area to be established as a corridor to benefit from the opportunities that will be created by the corridor and ensure that they are not marginalised in the process. Therefore communities will be actively involved in coming up with innovative community based natural resource management regime for the GKG initiative, involvement in the establishment of appropriate institutions for co-management of resources, be involved in the decision making process through participation in planning, project implementation and management. The communities will also have a central role to play in benefit sharing (i.e. in ownership and management of special areas set aside for wildlife and tourism activities).

Capacity - Building Component

One fo the fundamental elements of the project is to enhance the capabilitie, skills and competencies of local communities living within the corridor between Gonarezhou and Kruger National Parks to manage and benefit from natural resources within the context of GKG initiative. Communities" capacity will be enhanced in the area of developing indicators for biological diversity, be able to use the indicators to collect data from project site at relevant time intervals and must be able to analyse the data and interpret it. This interpretation of data will indicate to the communities the ecological changes that are taking plce at project sites. In addition, the existing community based systems and organisational capacity necessary for CBNRM will be strengthened through leadership training.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Raising awareness on resource management and conservation issues will be done through workshops, seminars and ART's Community Theatre Outreach Programme. In addition, ther will be promotion and demonstration of alternative, ecologically beneficial livelihood options in and around selected globally important centres of biodiversity. This will be done through land-use planning at local and district levels. The land use plans will take into account the need to commercialise biodiversity as a profitable land-use (e.g. setting aside printine wilderness areas for conservation and tourism activities). This approach will also accommodate traditional cropping and livestock husbandry and highlight their benefits on the global environment.

Policy Impact

The impact on policy has not yet been realised since the project that was developed using this planning grant was only approved on 17 August 2004.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The indigenous people in the project area include the Sangwe, Shangani and Ndau people. All these different indigenous groups have already been involved in proposal development, awareness raising and conservation works under othe programmes like the land care programme under Australian Aid. The indigenous people are quite central in designing work plans, actual implementation together with monitoring and evaluation.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will also facilitate the communities to identify and implement appropriate land use options and establish a long term management plan for the project area. This will involve mapping out existing land use patterns and find ways of supporting these to improve livelihoods. One of the major activities which will be of benefit is the establishment of eco tourism ventures, craft production and marketing, beekeeping and curio-making.

Project Results

The planning grant was used to conduct the necessary surveys and to produce the project proposal. The results are yet to be realised because the project proposal that was produced using this grant was funded in August 2004.

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