In an increasingly globalized world, no nation is a self-contained island. Developing countries in particular need to establish regional partnerships in order to compete effectively in the global market. Tourism is a major and expanding source of foreign revenue internationally and Southern Africa has major and as yet under-utilised opportunities in this sphere. The subcontinent is fortunate in being blessed with exceptionally rich biodiversity, which has a proven attraction for foreign tourists. Linking the individual attractions of a particular country with those of its neighbours offers considerable advantage in more effectively and synergistically marketing these ecotourism destinations across national borders for the greater benefit of all participating countries.

Establishment of the proposed Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park (GKG Transfrontier Park) would support broader political aims of socio-economic upliftment in the southern African sub-continent where rural areas are subject to chronic high unemployment and low income, as well as of greatly improved regional ecosystem management. This vision of cross-border collaboration would also give effect to the stated objectives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which aims for synergistic regional initiatives for economic, social and conservation benefits over the subcontinent.

To achieve interstate collaboration in the conservation of transboundary ecosystems and their associated biodiversity, promoting sustainable use of natural resources to improve the quality of life of the peoples of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

To collaboratively establish and manage on a sustainable basis a viable Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park with full stakeholder participation, including local communities, fostering regional co-operation, biodiversity conservation, and cross-border socio-economic development.

There are several definitions which attempt to explain what a Transfrontier Park is, and there are also several related terms with much overlap between them. However, in terms of what the three countries wish to achieve, the following perspectives are relevant.

In the case of the GKG Transfrontier Park, it is the express purpose of the partner countries that three extensive conservation areas which either already adjoin each other across international boundaries, or which have the potential of being linked across such boundaries, will be jointly managed as one integrated unit according to a joint Management Plan. In time, all barriers that impede the free movement of animals across current artificial boundaries will be removed and tourists will also have unimpeded access to all three component areas. While each nation retains sovereign rights to the land it has contributed to the Transfrontier Park, the Park will be managed to optimise ecological processes and conserve biodiversity over the entire area, but done in a manner that also stimulates ecotourism and socio-economic benefits. In this way then the area currently known as Coutada 16 in Mozambique will be integrated with the Kruger National Park in South Africa, with further integration across the Sengwe Communal Lands to join up with Gonarhezou National Park in Zimbabwe.

In itself already making up some 35 000km², this GKG Transfrontier Park will form the core of a broader GKG Transfrontier Conservation Area (GKG TFCA). This bigger area around the GKG Transfrontier Park will represent land having different forms of conservation status² (including National Parks, Private Game Reserves, Hunting Concession Areas, and Community Managed Natural Resource areas), but because of extensive intervening human settlements or other barriers cannot meaningfully be integrated into the core Transfrontier Park. The area made up by this greater GKG TFCA, including the Transfrontier Park, comes to some 99,800km².

TFCAs can also be referred to as Trans-boundary Conservation Areas (TBCAs), or International Peace Parks (IPPs), with the latter referring to transboundary co-operation where the primary aim is to confirm, strengthen, or re-establish good relations with a neighbouring state³. In this document the terms Transfrontier Park and Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) have been adopted.

The Transfrontier Park concept, especially in its broader and earlier name of "TFCA", is not new, and has received widespread attention over the past decade. Originally, TFCAs were specifically intended to safeguard ecosystems and biodiversity attributes disrupted by national borders. However, in recent years the concept has been expanded to one of combining integrated ecosystem conservation and socio-economic development models. This paradigm is a shift from being a state-driven⁴ activity to being more based in society, and particularly at the local levels, where a variety of different stakeholders are encouraged to play more proactive roles in the management of natural resources. The intention is to encourage the formation of alliances between different stakeholders such as government departments, the private sector, local communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The priorities are to develop a consensus within these alliances, enabling the available finite skills and resources to be maximised.

For Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the TFCA concept has evolved over a long period, dating as far back as 1938, when a Portuguese ecologist Gomes de Sousa proposed that the Mozambican colonial administration negotiate with the neighbouring states to establish Transfrontier Parks. Subsequent to this proposal, many ecologists and naturalists reiterated the need for establishing Transfrontier Parks, but it was only after the Mozambique Peace Accord of 1992 that the Council of Ministers of Mozambique recommended that the feasibility of establishing some pilot TFCAs be undertaken.

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF), through the World Bank, provided funds for the feasibility studies that examined the ecological, socio-economic, and political feasibility of the initiative. These studies were finalised in 1996, with a recommendation that three pilot TFCAs (Chimanimani, Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou & Lubombo (formerly Maputo)) be established. However, in this document only the GKG Transfrontier Park and GKG TFCA will be discussed.

The framework for co-operation in the establishment, development and management of trans-border ecosystems is provided by the:

Under the Transfrontier Park initiative, management of ecosystems encompasses, amongst others, conservation, utilisation and control activities.

Conservation of wildlife shall be achieved by enabling and maintaining natural ecological processes, ensuring the survival of as broad as possible a range of the naturally occurring wildlife species, and by promoting appropriate land use practices within the protected areas which form part of the GKG Transfrontier Park and the GKG TFCA.

Sustainable use of wildlife resources under the TFCA initiative is considered an acceptable form of land use, provided it is done in a controlled manner in areas specifically zoned for such use. As the perceptions of natural resource use may vary between countries and cultures, in certain cases ecologically sustainable consumptive uses, especially in some protected areas such as the core GKG Transfrontier Park, may be precluded on ethical grounds. In situations where sustainable consumptive use of natural resources is a complementary land use, the use of wildlife will be conducted within an ethical context which:

The GKG Transfrontier Park and GKG TFCA should be formalised within the context that each country recognises and respects the sovereignty of its partners. However, legislation, policies and practices that would promote natural resource integrity and optimum socio-economic benefits should be harmonised. Furthermore, as the Parties to the GKG Transfrontier Park initiative are also members of various Regional and International Treaties, Protocols and Conventions aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation, these Parties must endeavour to manage the shared ecosystems and their attendant biodiversity in accordance with the principles stipulated in such Treaties, Protocols and Conventions.

As eco-tourism development and marketing is likely to be a prominent feature of the proposed Transfrontier Park, mechanisms for equitable sharing of revenues, particularly from entry fees to the Park, will need to be developed at the outset to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Local community participation, under the Transfrontier Park and TFCA initiative, will be through the promotion of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in the interstitial areas. The guiding principle under CBNRM is one of sustainable rural development that enables rural communities to manage and directly benefit from natural resources. This is achieved through dual objectives. By making wildlife profitable, through active participation of the private sector, it attempts to stimulate rural development. It also simultaneously provides local communities with incentives to conserve wildlife and to manage inter-related natural resources such as soil, water, woodlands, arable land and grazing land. In Southern Africa this philosophy has been promoted through three major projects, namely the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe, the Administrative Management Design for Game Management Areas (ADMADE) in Zambia and Living in a Finite Environment (LIFE) in Namibia. Several prototypes of these models have been replicated in many Southern African countries, hence there is opportunity for the CBNRM programmes promoted under the GKG TFCA initiative to learn from the diverse experiences available within the SADC region.

The success of the GKG Transfrontier Park initiative will depend on long-term political support and sustained commitment by all the partner nations to contribute financial, intellectual and other resources to the process of establishment, development and sustainable management of the Park.

It is proposed that a specific country be designated on a rotational basis as Co-ordinating Country in order to promote accountability and sustained momentum in the Transfrontier Park implementation process.

The Technical Committee should ensure that funds are raised through the Co-ordinating Country and other sources. All such funds should be subject to auditing and reports on all expenditure be given to the Technical Committee. Each participating country should financially contribute towards the activities of planning, development and implementation of the GKG Transfrontier Park.

In recognition of the fact that the sovereign rights of individual countries must be respected, and no country may impose decisions on another, it is recommended that planning meetings should be attended by accredited representatives of the participating countries in a particular initiative. In this regard each country should undertake to respect mutually agreed upon scheduled meetings and ensure that adequate representation is present.

Each participating country should also ensure that full stakeholder participation is engaged in within their respective countries, so that broad social and political acceptance is achieved for the process without later detriment to the process. Stakeholders include rural communities, which are crucial to the success of GKG Transfrontier Park. All stakeholders need therefore to be consulted and issues of concern identified and addressed.

To promote a sense of co-ownership of the process and the understanding that all initiatives are for equitable benefit of participating countries, it is agreed that planning meetings will generally occur on a rotating basis among the participating countries.

The planning and development process for the GKG Transfrontier Park should be guided by the Co-ordinating Country. This lead country will ensure that the planning and development process is done with full participation of all partner countries, and that the process remains effective with sustained momentum.

Planning and development in the proposed Transfrontier Park must be consistent with regional treaties and international protocols.

Given the fact that the GKG Transfrontier Park will cover an extensive area which in some parts either remains poorly accessible, or are settled by human inhabitants, or may still contain land-mines, it should be clear that development and implementation of the GKG Transfrontier Park will require a step-wise approach, with gradual integration of different areas into the Park. It is also generally understood that there will be a logical limit to full integration of areas into the Transfrontier Park. In this way it is probable that areas such as Zinave and Banhine National Parks may never form part of the core Transfrontier Park, but will be separated from that core area by extensive intervening human settlements. Nevertheless these areas will form part of an adjoining GKG TFCA, making up an important "buffer" region integrated with the GKG Transfrontier Park in terms of ecotourism, marketing and socio-economic development.

It is proposed that the GKG Transfrontier Park should include from Mozambique's side the area currently known as Coutada 16, from the South African side the Kruger National Park including the Makuleke Region of that Park, and from Zimbabwe the Gonarezhou National Park as well as a corridor of land which links the Gonarezhou National Park with the Kruger National Park. The total area made up by this integration of core conservation land amounts to some 35 383km².

Adjoining this core Transfrontier Park in each country are other land areas managed in various forms for conservation or sustainable natural resource use, and which could usefully be referred to, marketed and managed as a broader GKG Transfrontier Conservation Area (GKG TFCA). These areas include the Zinave National Park, Banhine National Park, Corumana and Massingir development areas as well as interlinking areas in Mozambique, the private and provincial wildlife reserves adjoining the western border of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and the Save, Malilangwe and other conservancies and community wildlife areas adjoining Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe. This broader GKG TFCA, together with the core GKG Transfrontier Park, comprises an area of 99 800km². This "twinning" of conservation areas into a core Transfrontier Park which is fully integrated and ultimately with free movement of animals and people throughout the Park, and a "buffer" Transfrontier Conservation Area surrounding it, is reflected in the accompanying map.

The GKG Transfrontier Park is widely regarded as the "jewel" of the various transboundary conservation areas proposed for southern Africa. It embraces the internationally-acclaimed Kruger National Park which already attracts close on one million visitors annually to this area. As an established, sophisticated tourism infrastructure therefore already exists in part of the proposed GKG Transfrontier Park, it serves as springboard for increased tourism attracted by the additional range of adventure, sightseeing, and leisure activities which the expanded Park and TFCA will present, as well as direct access to the Mozambican coast. It greatly enhances the marketing opportunities for this region.

The desired future state for the GKG Transfrontier Park would be to enable easy flow into Mozambique and Zimbabwe of those tourists already entering the Kruger National Park. The extended ecotourism area having greater linkages will have a greater range of opportunities and attractions for tourists and have greater capacity to accommodate them. There should be border posts linking the Kruger Park directly with Mozambique at Pafuri and preferably also further south down the length of the Kruger Park. There should also be a road and border post allowing direct access between the Kruger Park and south-eastern Zimbabwe, across the Limpopo River.

With passage of time, as infrastructure and popularity is established, the international airport at Maputo is also likely to become a significant conduit for foreign visitors wishing to visit the GKG Transfrontier Park and TFCA.

Stone-age artefacts and more recent Iron-age implements at many sites provide evidence of a very long and almost continuous presence of humans in the area making up the proposed GKG Transfrontier Park. Early inhabitants were San hunter-gatherers, who left numerous rock-paintings scattered across the region, while Bantu people entered about 800 years ago, gradually displacing the San. The available evidence suggests that humans occurred at low density and were mostly confined to the more permanent river courses. It is reasonable to assume from the continuous presence at some sites (Pafuri for example) that humans and wildlife existed in harmony, with no major impact of humans on wildlife or the reverse. The arid nature of the environment, together with an abundance of predators and diseases (e.g. malaria) would have played a role in preventing large-scale human population growth and settlement. Nevertheless, sophisticated cultures already existed by the 16^th century as evidenced by the Thulamela and other ruins near Pafuri.

Reaching back as early as 1505, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a permanent presence in what is now southern Mozambique, but confined themselves mainly to the coastal areas. Their influence -- as well as that of earlier Muslim Arabs who controlled the coast in early centuries -- on the remote interior was limited initially to gold trading routes with the Munhumutapa Empire in Dzimbabwe (now Zimbabwe), large-scale ivory trading from the 16th century onwards and slave trading up till 1860.

The discovery of gold around Barberton and Pilgrims Rest in the latter half of the 19^th century attracted large numbers of Europeans closer to this area, with sustained and increasing hunting pressure on wildlife for sport, food and trade. The massive destruction of game, together with the effects of the Rinderpest outbreak of 1896, led to the proclamation in 1898 of the Sabi Game Reserve in the then Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (now South Africa). In 1926 this Reserve was greatly expanded into the current-day Kruger National Park.

In Zimbabwe the Gona-re-zhou Game Reserve, meaning "the home of the elephant", was proclaimed in 1934, and later upgraded as the Gonarezhou National Park in 1975. As the name implies, it provided habitat to large herds of elephants, which were decimated during Zimbabwe's war of liberation, civil strife in bordering Mozambique, and drought during the 1980s. In later years community-based natural resource management in the form of the CAMPFIRE initiative was established with varying degrees of success in communal areas around this Park. The outcome nevertheless has been that large areas in south-eastern Zimbabwe are still successfully managed as wildlife conservancies with tourism and game-farming as the main sources of income.

The Banhine National Park and Zinave National Park were originally proclaimed as hunting areas (Coutada) in 1969, but both were upgraded to National Park status in 1972. Coutada 16 has existed as a hunting concession area since 1969 and was never upgraded. Civil war in Mozambique during the 1970s and 1980s resulted in a complete breakdown in the management of these wildlife sanctuaries and near-complete destruction of large mammals. The habitat remains in good condition however, so that re-establishment of game from Kruger National Park and other source areas would be a viable and desirable exercise provided effective game protection measures can be implemented.

The civil war in Mozambique also resulted in major social disruption with large-scale movement of people out of the proposed GKG Conservation Area in Mozambique. With peace again prevailing, more and more people are moving into the area and it is becoming imperative to do strategic land-use planning if Transfrontier Park and TFCA implementation is to be successful and sustainable.

That conservation is a viable and legitimate form of land-use is amply demonstrated by the fact that the Kruger National Park is one of the top five attractions for tourists in South Africa, annually attracting close to one million visitors to enjoy its wildlife and scenery, and generating income amounting to millions of Rands, sufficient to sustain itself independent of State support. This example of conservation as a successful business enterprise is equalled by other examples such as the Mala Mala and other private game reserves, which also generate substantial profits and serve as prime destinations attracting foreign visitors and foreign currency.

The name "Gaza TFCA" has at times been used to describe the area proposed in this document for Transfrontier Park development. Motivation for this has been that much of the area overlaps with the historic "Gaza-nkulu" kingdom of Soshangane, thus lending itself to various possibilities such as "Gaza-nkulu" itself, "Greater Gazaland", "Gazaland", or simply "Gaza". However, reservations have been expressed that using the name "Gaza" as root for the Transfrontier Park name may offend some current-day cultural groupings (Venda, Swazi, etc) who may reject this insinuation of historic ethnic land associations and dominance. Public discussion and participation in selection of a name is therefore essential, and for the interim period a neutral name such as Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park is perhaps well-advised.

The GKG Transfrontier Park is an extensive area of essentially flat savanna bisected north/south by the Lebombo mountain range, and drained by four river systems flowing from west to east. Temperatures are mild in winter and very rarely drop below freezing point, while summers are hot with daily temperatures averaging in the thirties (centigrade). The area is generally rather dry with a rainy season in summer, average rainfall being about 550mm per annum.

Dominated by Colophospermum mopane, these communities are a very conspicuous feature of the northern half of the Transfrontier Park and develop on poorly-drained clays and sandy-clay soils. Whereas vast areas are almost completely covered by this species with only minimal representation of other trees, mixed communities do exist where trees such as Combretum apiculatum also form a strong presence, especially in the western part of the Transfrontier Park. More localised areas exist where mopane mixed with stands of Spirostachys africana, Adansonia digitata or various species of Commiphora also form conspicuous communities. Two types of mopane stands prevail: vast stretches of mopane-shrubveld, and more localized areas of tall mopane forest usually associated with hill-country. Although often regarded as poor game-viewing habitat they are used by a wide range of animal, bird and invertebrate species and are thus important components of the ecosystem. Elephant and buffalo populations thrive in this habitat.

These communities occur mainly in the southern half of the Transfrontier Park and are dominated by Acacia nigrescens, Combretum paniculatum, Combretum imberbe, Sclerocarya birrea, and Dichrostachys cinerea. These habitats form the prime game-viewing areas and within the Kruger National Park (and potentially Mozambique) have large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, impala, and other species associated with them, together with species such as rhino and elephant.

These areas occur mainly within Mozambique and are distinctive with a very diverse range of plant species associated with them, making them important areas for biodiversity conservation. Typical trees found here include Bapphia massaiensis, Afzelia quanzensis, Strychnos spp., Terminalia sericea, Albizia spp., and others. Certain species of mammals (e.g. springhare) and birds confine themselves to this habitat. They are also the only places in which very rare species of fish are found, such as the lungfish and killifish (Nothobranchius).

Tall woodland exists along most river courses in Kruger Park and Gonarezhou and to some extent in parts of the Mozambican portion of the GKG Transfrontier Park. Notable species in this vegetation community include Trichilia emetica, Ficus sycomorus, Xanthocercis zambesiaca, Diospyros mespiliformis, Acacia robusta, Acacia xanthophloea, Kigelia africana and the palms Phoenix reclinata and Hyphaene natalensis. Although only a narrow band rarely exceeding 150 metres in width on each bank, these riverine forests represent a diverse and specialised habitat offering refuge for many mammal species (e.g. elephant shrews, nyala, bushbuck, and hippo) and birds which are strongly associated with such habitats.

Only a few areas within the proposed Transfrontier Park have been intensively surveyed for biodiversity attributes. The information provided here is therefore based on minimum species richness and endemic status known for specific areas of the Transfrontier Park, and therefore reflect the minimum biodiversity present.

At least 2 000 species of plants have been recorded from the area, none of which are confined exclusively to the Transfrontier Park.

Forty-nine species of fish are known from the area. Three species deserve special conservation status because of their rarity and limited distribution, these being the two small seasonal pan inhabitants Nothobranchius orthonotus and Nothobranchius rachovii, as well as the lungfish Protopterus annectens.

Thirty-four species of frogs are known from the area. The Sandveld Pyxie Tomopterna krugerensis was discovered within the Kruger Park and has its main area of distribution within the Transfrontier Park area, although also recorded from Kwazulu-Natal.

At least 116 species of reptiles are known from the Transfrontier Park area. Included amongst these are two near-endemic species: Nucras caesicaudata (blue-tailed sandveld lizard) and Monopeltis decosteri (De Coster's spade-snouted worm lizard).

A total of 505 species of birds are known from the Kruger National Park, but a small number of additional species is likely to be present in the Mozambican and Zimbabwean portions of the Transfrontier Park. None of the KNP species are endemic.

A total of 147 species are known from the area, of which none are endemic. However, aside from a localised population around Pretoria in South Africa, Juliana's Golden mole Amblysomus julianae is only known from a few specimens collected from the Pretoriuskop area in the Kruger National Park. Currently the Kruger Park is also one of the last areas anywhere in the world to hold significant and viable populations of Wild dog Lycaon pictus, having some 300 individuals in total. The population of 3 000 white rhino Ceratotherium simum present in the Kruger Park is the biggest anywhere, while the 300 black rhino Diceros bicornis is the second largest population. Both these species are increasing steadily and increased range opportunities into Mozambique and Zimbabwe will enhance the conservation of these threatened animals, as also for the endangered wild dogs. One as yet undescribed new species of Eptesicus bat is known from the Kruger Park. A number of rare antelope species representing unique gene pools are also largely localised within the TFCA area, such as roan antelope Hippotragus equinus, sable Hippotragus niger and tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus.

All the areas proposed for inclusion in the GKG Transfrontier Park and GKG TFCA on the South African side are either formally proclaimed state conservation areas (whether national or provincial), or private nature reserves. Wildlife conservation practices of high standard are maintained, with good legislation, infrastructure, and human resources to support it. Tourism is established and viable. Although wildlife conservation and tourism opportunities have enjoyed high priority in these areas, socio-economic benefits to neighbours and rural inhabitants have not been optimised and considerable opportunities still remain to be exploited.

In Zimbabwe much of the area proposed for inclusion in the GKG Transfrontier Park and GKG TFCA has also enjoyed many years of successful wildlife conservation practise and sustainable natural resource use. This is either in the form of proclaimed National Park (Gonarezhou), private game ranches or conservancies, and community-based natural resource management (e.g. CAMPFIRE) in areas not formally designated as wildlife protection areas. Isolation of the south-eastern corner of Zimbabwe from the main tourist routes has meant that much of the tourism potential of the area remains unexploited, which would be greatly improved if direct access by road can be established with the Kruger Park across the Limpopo. Currently a huge investment programme to rehabilitate infrastructure (roads, housing, electricity, water supply, telecommunications) is being implemented which will greatly enhance the attraction and accessibility of the area.

Civil war during the 1970s and 1980s disrupted previous conservation areas in Mozambique, also leading to large-scale destruction of wildlife populations. However, the basic habitat still exists and the area proposed for Transfrontier Park and TFCA development has enormous potential for successful re-introduction of wildlife and establishment of ecotourism ventures. Currently the most dominant form of land use on the Mozambican side of the TFCA is subsistence agriculture, complemented by limited raising of livestock. However, as the GKG Transfrontier Park and TFCA are essentially semi-arid zones, typified by poor soils except for alluvial soils along the major rivers, and receive low and unpredictable rainfall, the potential for economically viable and sustainable agriculture is low. Harvesting of trees for commercial timber, charcoal for sale, building poles and firewood is another major form of land-use currently in Mozambique. Subsistence hunting and fishing occurs along the Limpopo, Elefantes and Save Rivers and is an important source of protein for many families. The human population in the Mozambican portion of the TFCA is relatively sparse, except along the major river systems where the majority of people are settled. Overall the population density within the TFCA on the Mozambican side is estimated at about 2,08 individuals per km². Viable opportunities exist for the establishment of the Transfrontier Park, and launching Community Based Natural Resource Management in the interstitial areas that surround and link the core protected areas within the bigger TFCA.