THERE is need to protect and sustainably use natural resources as they play a key role in socio-economic development at local, regional and national levels, a senior Government official has said.
Officially launching the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor (HSBC) project, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko said the interaction between people and the environment was not always in harmony resulting in a degraded landscape with negative impacts on both the environment and communities in the country.
“The project, therefore presents an opportunity to enhance natural resources management, promote habitat connectivity and enhance the livelihoods of communities.
“It is therefore befitting that we are all gathered here to launch the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor (HSBC) project under the theme “Community Participation for Sustainable Biodiversity Management” and this gives us the impetus to integrate community participation in natural resources management along the corridor,”
He said given its spatial geographical location, the HSBC project occupies key habitats for wildlife, livestock and more importantly, people.
VP Mphoko said other challenges such as the shortage of water for wildlife and livestock in the region were related to climate change.
He said Government in order to address these challenges had secured a US$5,6 million grant from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through the World Bank to fund the (HSBC) project and added that World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zimbabwe was also supporting Government to implement the project.
“Since the project will focus on three environmental focal areas, that is, biodiversity conservation, climate change and land degradation it will be implemented using an integrated approach to enhance impact and synergies among the players.
“The appropriateness of the HSBC project is that it promotes corridor sustainability and connectivity as the project will work closely with our neighbouring countries through the KAZA TFCA and other regional forums,”
“The Government of Zimbabwe expects the project to contribute to achieving environmental sustainability as obligated by the millennium development goal seven. Improving the livelihoods of communities in the project area through community based natural resources management programmes should also be one of the deliverables of this project,”
VP Mphoko said the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) programme must be enhanced for greater beneficiation for communities.
“Government would like to see communities living with our natural resources embarking in projects which will sustainably utilise and manage these resources,”
“The CAMPFIRE programme should not depend on wildlife only but diversify and include other natural resources for income generation,”
“CAMPFIRE should significantly improve the living standards of communities and be an incentive for community participation in managing these natural resources.”
He said the thrust of these programmes should eradicate poverty as enshrined in the economic blue-print ,ZIM-ASSET as this relates to sustainable utilisation of natural resources and human development as this helps communities to value wildlife and other environmental resources appropriately and ensure conservation.
The Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project is located in the North Western part of the country (covering 5,7 million ha). The project will be implemented over a period of five years by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate through the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Environmental Management Agency, Forestry Commission and CAMPFIRE Association under the guidance of the WWF Zimbabwe, which is the Activities Implementing Entity.
For this project, Government secured US$5,8 million from the Global Environment Facility and the funds will be channelled through the World Bank.
The overall objective of the project is “to develop land use and resource management capacity of managers and communities in the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor (HSBC) of Zimbabwe”. It has the following components: improving the management of protected and buffer areas; improving forest and land management; HSBC sustainability; and project coordination
Hwange National Park is the largest National Park in Zimbabwe and is part of the Kavango Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA). It is endowed with wildlife resources that form the backbone of both the country and region’s tourism industry.
According to a recent African elephant survey, the park carries some 45 000 elephants which constitute about twice its ecological carrying capacity.
The main thrust of the HSBC is to improve the management of protected and buffer areas and the livelihood of the communities involved in stewardship of the natural resources in the improved management of Hwange National Park.
The programme will also see the supporting of investments in areas such as the buffer areas of Hwange and Tsholotsho districts through restocking of wildlife areas, mitigating human and wildlife conflicts.
And also the provision of appropriate training to relevant stakeholders and the support of the CAMPFIRE system that will open new opportunities to communities to allow them to play a greater role in the management of their natural resources through wildlife management in Hwange and Tsholotsho districts.