SW African countries discuss transnational conservation area

Five environment and tourism minister from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe recently gathered in Kasane, Botswana and discussed progress on the Kavango Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area or Kaza TFCA.

Kaza TFCA spans five southern African countries, namely, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe and covers an area 287,132 square kilometres.

Kaza TFCA involves no fewer than 33 formally proclaimed national parks, game reserves, forest reserves game/wildlife management areas as well as intervening conservation and tourism concessions set aside for consumptive and non-consumptive uses of natural resources.

Romeo Muyunda the spokesman at the ministry of environment stated the tourism ministers of participating countries noted with satisfaction the progress achieved since their last meeting in Namibia last year.

Among the notable agreements made are efforts to enhance the planned Kaza secretariat that will manage Kaza TFCA.

Currently tourists visiting southern Africa must apply for separate visas for each individual country – each with its own visa regime and according to critics this has been a deterrent for multi-country travel.

The biological resources of the Kaza TFCA will incorporate the largest contiguous elephant population on the African continent. Kaza TFCA is also endowed with an abundance and diversity of wildlife species that are of considerable economic and ecological value.

The plant life in Kaza TFCA is equally phenomenal with at least 3,000 species, some 100 of which are endemic to this sub-region as well as more than 600 species of birds that are characteristic of Southern African savannahs. Endi