The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Treaty, signed on 18 August 2011, aims to conserve the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and culture through implementing the best conservation and tourism models in what is potentially the world's largest conservation area.
3 October 2011: The Migratory Wildlife Network has announced that the Presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have signed the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Treaty, establishing the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). The treaty allows the area to potentially become the largest conservation area, spanning 444,000square kilometers.
Signed on 18 August 2011, at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Luanda, Angola, the KAZA TFCA, home to Africa’s “big five” and other species such as cheetah, African wild dog, sable and roan antelope, incorporates a number of national parks, conservancies, forest reserves and wild management areas.
The process for establishing the KAZA TFCA was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development and evolved through two initiatives – the Okavango Upper Zambezi International Tourism Initiative and the “Four Corners” Transboundary Natural Resource Management initiative.
The treaty aims to implement the goal of sustainably managing the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and cultural resources. Its management is expected to be based on the “best conservation and tourism models for the socio-economic wellbeing of the communities and other stakeholders in and around the eco-region through the harmonization of policies, strategies and practices.” [Migratory Wildlife Network Article]