Zambezi Valley a great priority for conservation: AWF

By The Standard and Newsday | Jan. 4, 2022 | 2 Min read

“We have identified Zambezi Valley as a priority area in Zimbabwe, and our number one landscape where we are trying to invest in wildlife conservation, and what we want to see is a strong Parks Authority and local Authorities that are able to support wildlife conservation efforts,” Pole said.

BY OBERT SIAMILANDU

THE Zambezi Valley has been identified as one of the areas which must be prioritised for wildlife conservation investment to ensure the survival of wildlife populations.

This was said yesterday by Alistair Pole, the African Wildlife Foundation director in charge of projects and partnerships in Africa during a conservation event in Kariba.

“We need to look after natural resources and protect our wildlife populations. Travellers from all over the world seek out the wildernesses of the Zambezi for a safari experience that is unique and extraordinary. But in order for their expectations to be met, huge efforts and resources are required to ensure that these landscapes and ecosystems and the wildlife they support remain healthy and carefully balanced.”

The continent’s fourth-largest river, the Zambezi, has spectacular features, with old ox-bow lakes, sandbanks and channels along its length.

It also features dramatic riverine flood plains that stretch for miles, deciduous miombo woodlands, and mineral-rich grasslands that are good for wildlife.

Zambezi Valley also attracts a prolific and diverse wildlife population.

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In the Middle Zambezi area alone, there are many complex landscapes, facing a variety of different challenges such as poaching, among others.

The decline in the elephant population due to poaching and other factors has also been alarming.

In the last few years, the number of jumbos dropped to 3 500 from 14 000 in 2001, while in the Lower Zambezi regions, elephants have declined from a healthy population of 19 000 in 2001 to approximately 11 500 today.