Malawi-Zambia: Share Knowledge to Solve Human-Wildlife Conflicts
Rumphi District Commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu urged the local population to protect wildlife to ensure continued benefits from the areas through tourism and water reservoirs.
Rumphi, Malawi– The Department of Parks and Wildlife Reserves has emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing in addressing human-wildlife conflicts within conservation areas, writes Victor Musongole.
This statement came during the opening of a two-day workshop for stakeholders from Malawi and Zambia under the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area in Rumphi on Thursday.
Brighton Kumchedwa, the Director of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves, highlighted the significance of collaboration between Malawi and Zambia to facilitate knowledge exchange regarding human-wildlife conflicts in communities around the Nyika-Vwaza conservation area.
"This meeting will help the two countries share knowledge on where each of the countries can improve ways of resolving human-wildlife conflicts in conservation areas so that people are aware of the benefits they can get from these areas," stated Kumchedwa.
Rumphi District Commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu urged the local population to protect wildlife to ensure continued benefits from the areas through tourism and water reservoirs.
"We believe the meeting will help people from two countries to continue benefiting from these conservation areas, as you are aware that the district relies on Nyika and Vwaza for water, as most water users rely on these as reservoirs, and they are able to sell honey harvested from the reserve," said Bulukutu.
Ephraim Lombe, Community Outreach Manager at the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Zambia, shared insights into their success in combating poaching through equal profit-sharing from protected areas and cultural integration.
"In my country, we have integrated conservation with culture, which helps us combat poaching, as people around the protected area are aware of the benefits they get from these areas since they receive half of the revenue from the conservation area," explained Lombe.
The workshop, held under the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area in collaboration with the Peace Parks Foundation and supported by KFW, aims to foster cooperation and knowledge exchange between the two nations on effective strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.