Two Countries Join Forces to Protect Their Waters

The lower Zambezi-Mana River basins, a shared resource of Zambia and Zimbabwe, are now subject to extended protection, reflecting the two southern African countries’ commitment to promoting sustainable management for the sake of the environment and the population.

“This initiative creates new opportunities for our governments, local communities, and stakeholders to advance sustainable development agendas and ensure that tangible benefits are shared equitably by all participants,” explains Ngobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Zimbabwean Minister for the Environment, Climate, Tourism, and the Hospitality Industry.

The memorandum of understanding strengthens the protection of the basins’ natural heritage by establishing the lower Zambezi-Mana River basins as a transboundary conservation area (TCA). Spanning a total of 18,515km², the lower Zambezi-Mana River basins are also shared by Botswana and Namibia. Vital conservation areas are encompassed in the TCA, including national parks, game management and safari areas, communal lands, and conservancies. The legal framework conferred on the basins is useful for the completion of a $12.5 million regional project to not only restore and conserve one million hectares of biodiversity-rich habitats but also improve the living conditions of some 30,000 people in three critical Southern African TCAs – Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.