Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas

• Poaching
• Oil exploration programme (issue resolved)
• Mining project
• Tourism development

On 18 December 2015, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/302/documents/. This was additional to a letter received from the Zimbabwe National Commission for UNESCO, on 18 June 2015, which included reports on a visit to the property by some of its members, and a workshop to develop an anti-poaching strategy for the property. Progress on a number of issues raised by the Committee at its previous sessions is reported, including:

• Mitigation measures for environmental impacts are underway at the Mana Pools Lodge at Vine Camp, which is not yet operational;
• National aerial surveys of elephants and other wildlife were carried out in 2014. No specific information on the status of wildlife populations in the property is provided, but a summary of the national results is included in the anti-poaching strategy;
• Efforts to manage poaching will precede the completion of the feasibility study of re-introducing black rhino;
• Policies to focus on improvements to existing facilities and ensuring that any new developments are located in peripheral areas, away from the riverbank, have been adopted;
• Development of a comprehensive management plan for the property is delayed due to a lack of funding;
• Dialogue and collaboration is taking place between the States Parties of Zimbabwe and Zambia through the Joint Operations Command (JOC) meetings, bi-lateral meeting on Mana Pools/Lower Zambezi Trans-frontier conservation area and drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU);
• A Mana Pools anti-poaching strategy and action plan for the property and an elephant management plan for the Zambezi Valley have been developed. Human resources, equipment and patrols have been strengthened, reducing poaching incidents;
• The “no mining in World Heritage properties” policy of the State Party has been reiterated through different initiatives, including a campaign.

In addition, the State Party of Zambia reported on 14 March 2016 that the proposed copper mine in the Lower Zambezi National Park (Zambia) has not been developed following an injunction by the High Court, confirming reports brought to the attention of the Committee at its 38th session (Doha, 2014). A final decision on whether the mine will be allowed is therefore pending court proceedings.

The implementation of the environmental safeguards identified in the enhanced Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the new Mana Pools Lodge at Vine Camp is welcomed, but the effectiveness of these measures will require effective implementation of the environmental management and monitoring plans after the lodge becomes operational, in particular to assess whether the increased levels of activity at the site affects wildlife movements and use of critical habitat in this riverside location. Further mitigation measures may be necessary. The State Party’s assurance that no other developments are planned for the National Park, as well as the intention to ensure that any future developments will be limited to the periphery of the property and not allowed along the Zambezi shoreline is appreciated.

The 2014 aerial survey recorded a 36% decline in elephant populations in the Zambezi Valley (where the property is located) since 2001, as well as declines in populations of most other mammals. The development of an anti-poaching strategy for the property and a broader elephant management plan for the Zambezi Valley should enable the State Party to address the situation. Both plans clearly need to be fully resourced and effectively implemented.  The State Party’s decision to delay plans for a feasibility study on the re-introduction of black rhino on account of the poaching threat is noted.

It is regrettable that completion of the new management plan has been delayed due to lack of funds to support the necessary stakeholder consultations.  It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to seek International Assistance to enable the completion of the plan.

Appropriate safeguards should also be placed to ensure that any possible impacts of mining activity outside the property are minimised. In particular, it is recommended that the Committee remind the State Party of Zambia of its obligations under Article 6 of the Convention, and request it not to make any decisions related to the mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP) until the potential impacts on the OUV of the property are carefully assessed, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, even if the outcome of the ongoing judicial process is in favour of this development.

Progress made in the establishment of a trans-frontier conservation area linking the property with Zambia’s LZNP, and the development of a MoU to formally recognize and implement this collaboration is noted. It is recommended that the Committee also reminds the States Parties of its earlier recommendations (Decision 38 COM 7B.97) to consider nominating the LZNP to constitute a joint trans-boundary inscription on the World Heritage List, as envisaged at the time of the property’s inscription.