Mozambique: Peace Parks Foundation to develop Zinave National Park!

The Peace Parks Foundation and the Mozambican Minister of Land, Environmental  and Rural Development, Mr Celso Correia, have signed a co-management agreement in order to develop Zinave National Park in Mozambique over the next five years. Zinave National Park will be developed as an integral component of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA), the larger area surrounding the core transfrontier park.

The main developments in Zinave National Park will be:

• Establishing a project implementation unit
• Developing an extensive livelihood improvement strategy for the surrounding communities
• Appointing community liaison officers to oversee the development of the conservancies between the three National Parks (Limpopo National Park, Banhine National Park, Zinave National Park) in Mozambique
• Re-stocking the park with wildlife
• Employing and training additional field rangers, providing them with the necessary equipment, building additional ranger accommodation, purchasing vehicles to deploy staff and covering operational costs for rations, fuel and equipment
• Establishing an efficient anti-poaching unit
• Fencing and key infrastructure upgrades
• Preparing and implementing a biodiversity economy strategy for Zinave National Park and the community conservancies that will provide ecotourism and wildlife opportunities

Zinave National Park, situated in the district of Mambone near the Save river in Mozambique's province Inhambane, created by decree on 26 June 1973 and currently covers 4,000km². The Park has very diverse tree species, inlcuding the Acacia nigrescens-dominated plant community, as well as dry Terminalia woodland in a scenic landscape. It boasts massive trees and has a very high carrying capacity for wildlife.