The Federal Republic of Germany has been applauded for her longstanding regional support through the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to the establishment and development of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA).
Speaking during the visit by Mr Günther Nooke, Personal Representative of the Germany Chancellor for Africa on Sunday, 7 November 2021 in Kafue National Park, the KAZA Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe thanked the Federal Republic of Germany for the strategic partnership which has brought immense economic and ecological benefits to the highly biodiverse and wildlife-rich landscape.
“After more than 10 years of this strategic regional partnership and support, we are now seeing growing support from other donors, directly through Partner States or the KAZA Secretariat, and through various implementing partners funded by different donors including the US government, European Union, the British government, and private donors,” said Dr. Nyambe.
Speaking when welcoming the delegation, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife’s Director Dr Chuma Simukonda paid tribute to the Germany government for believing in the KAZA vision and supporting the rehabilitation of the Sioma Ngwezi National Park which lies in the south-west corner of Zambia. Dr Simukonda reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to continuously pursue strategic conservation partnerships in the wildlife sector.
Mr Nooke was accompanied by Ms Heike Pörksen, Senior Policy officer for Zambia in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, officials from KfW, and the Germany Embassy in Lusaka also had a chance to engage representatives of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia, the African Parks Network, and Community Resources Boards.
The delegation also visited the Kafue National Park boundary demarcation site to appreciate challenges faced in managing the protected area in relation to encroachment and human-wildlife conflict.
The Federal Republic of Germany’s support to KAZA has undergone three phases, the first two having focused on capacity building and infrastructure development, while the third phase is focused on transboundary priorities in the Kwando, Zambezi-Chobe, and Hwange-Kazuma-Chobe Wildlife Dispersal Areas (WDAs). Funding to KAZA under the three phases amounts to 35.5 million Euros, and an additional 4 million Euros for Covid-19 emergency relief support to the Partner States of Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
