Conservation Groups Urge Greater Community Role in KAZA Initiative
The groups highlighted the KAZA Treaty's mandate aligning activities with poverty alleviation and community empowerment protocols.
JOHANNESBURG— Two prominent conservation groups are calling for enhanced community participation in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), one of the world's largest conservation initiatives spanning five southern African nations, writes Winston Mwale.
In a joint statement released Thursday, the Community Leaders Network (CLN) and Resource Africa commended the progress made under the KAZA Treaty since its signing in 2011.
However, they expressed concern about the lack of a structured platform for meaningful community engagement.
"We express concern that KAZA has not yet developed an effective platform for meaningful community participation," the statement said.
"The principle of 'plan with us, not for us' has been clearly articulated by the communities, emphasizing the need for genuine engagement and collaboration."
The KAZA region, covering areas of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, aims to foster regional cooperation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development through community-based natural resource management.
While acknowledging investments in community projects, the groups stated KAZA's approach still overlooks crucial local input, highlighting the recent summit where no community representatives were invited to formally participate.
"A more befitting gesture would have been to at least invite a Chief from the KAZA region to open the summit, symbolizing true community involvement and respect," the statement noted.
Siyoka Simasiku of CLN and Shylock Muyengwa of Resource Africa urged KAZA and stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to community empowerment through robust mechanisms ensuring communities are "active partners" rather than just beneficiaries.
"True success will only be realized when the voices and aspirations of local people are at the heart of all initiatives," they stated, calling to be part of the platform to effectively represent community voices going forward.
The groups highlighted the KAZA Treaty's mandate aligning activities with poverty alleviation and community empowerment protocols.
KAZA, established in 2011, covers approximately 520,000 square kilometers across the five countries and aims to revive ancient animal migration routes while promoting sustainable development.