Overview

One of the boldest and most exciting cross-border initiatives currently unfolding in Southern Africa is the development of Transfrontier Parks and Transfrontier Conservation Areas. At the forefront is the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou (GKG) Transfrontier Park which will bring together some of the best and most established wildlife areas in the subcontinent. This will then be managed as an integrated unit across three international boundaries.

The GKG Transfrontier Park will include South Africa's world-famous Kruger National Park with its extraordinary abundance of wildlife, established infrastructure and tourism base, as well as the stunning geological splendour of Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe. A superb wildlife area in Mozambique will be added and introduced for the first time to the general public.

Tourists will be able to drive across international boundaries into adjoining conservation areas in the three countries with minimal fuss or bother. In addition to the usual game-viewing opportunities, visitors will have a broader range of new attractions including bird-rich tropical wetlands, lake cruises, tiger-fishing, rugged 4x4 adventure drives, and much more. A mix of cultural experiences will be offered, with traditional healers explaining their trade, story-telling, foods, dance, music, handicraft, art and general lifestyle to explore and enjoy.

The GKG Transfrontier Park will be a world-class ecotourism destination, with extensive private sector involvement, but managed to optimize benefits for biodiversity conservation and economic development of local communities.

What is a "transfrontier park"?

Definitions vary, but essentially all a transfrontier park means is that the authorities responsible for areas in which the primary focus is wildlife conservation, and which border each other across international boundaries, formally agree to manage those areas as one integrated unit according to a streamlined management plan. These authorities also undertake to remove all human barriers within the Transfrontier Park so that animals can roam freely.

Slightly different, a transfrontier conservation area usually refers to a cross-border region where the different component areas have different forms of conservation status, such as Private Game Reserves, communal natural resource management areas, and even hunting concession areas. Fences, major road highways, railway lines or other barriers may separate the various parts. Nevertheless, they border each other and they are managed for long-term sustainable use of natural resources, although free movement of animals between the different parts is not possible.

The first transfrontier park in Southern Africa was declared early in the year 2000 by the Presidents of Botswana and South Africa, thereby creating the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park across the borders of the two countries. This Transfrontier Park is now jointly managed with great success.

In the case of the GKG Transfrontier Park, the conservation authorities in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe will collaboratively manage wildlife and natural resources in the different areas to promote biodiversity conservation, and in a manner which will benefit local communities and regional tourism.

Where will this transfrontier park be?

The GKG Transfrontier Park will include the Kruger National Park in South Africa, a large area of Mozambique currently known as Coutada 16, and in Zimbabwe the Gonarezhou National Park and a slice of land southwards to the Limpopo River (see map). The total surface area of this Park will be approximately 40 000km².

Larger view

What is the purpose of this park?

Political boundaries very rarely respect ecological systems, and this Transfrontier Park will strive to re-establish historical animal migration routes and other ecosystem functions disrupted by fences and incompatible legislation. This more natural ecosystem will then also be jointly managed according to harmonized wildlife management policies, promoting the return of a larger and more resilient ecosystem with greater chances of long-term sustainability.

Equally important, this Park will provide jobs and revenue generating opportunities for many of the thousands of local people affected by decades of civil war. Improving the lives of these rural communities will in turn further contribute towards biodiversity conservation by demonstrating the economic and social advantages that can be achieved through wildlife conservation.

When will all this happen?

Political support in all three countries was achieved when the ministers responsible for wildlife in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 1999 in Maputo. A tri-national Technical Committee was then established to plan and supervise development of the GKG Transfrontier Park. A formal Concept Plan was drafted as well as an Action Plan. The details of planning and laying the foundations of the Park are now in progress, and include many different aspects such as engaging stakeholders to identify concerns, expectations and suggestions, developing regional tourism plans, identifying where cross-border access-points should be, how the movement of people across boundaries will work, how to manage the risk of wildlife diseases being transmitted to domestic stock, harmonising legislation and policies across borders, training of people to effectively run some of the new conservation areas, engaging the private sector to develop sophisticated tourism infrastructure and opportunities, and so on.

Realistically, the Transfrontier Park can only be said to have been established once there is free movement of animals and people across previous boundaries. This is likely to have been achieved by 2003.

Where can you find out more about the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park?

Please direct enquiries, clearly marked Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, to:

• In Mozambique, to
  The Direccao Nacional de Florestas e Fauna Bravia in Maputo (Tel: ++ 258 1 460036; Fax: ++ 258 1 460060);
  
• In South Africa, to either
  - The South African National Parks (Tel: + 27 12 343 9770; Fax: + 27 12 343 4666) or
  (www.parks-sa.co.za), or
  - The Peace Parks Foundation (Tel: + 27 21 887 6188; Fax: + 27 21 887 6189) (www.peaceparks.org), or
  
• In Zimbabwe, to
  The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management (Tel: ++ 263 4 792 786; Fax: ++ 263 4 724 914).