Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas

• Poaching
• Oil exploration programme (issue resolved)
• Mining project
• Tourism development
• Management systems/ management plan

Total amount granted: USD 200,000 in 2023 from the Government of Norway for conservation activities.

On 1 February 2023, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/302/documents, and reports the following:

• Anti-poaching operations are continuing with improved communication, anti-poaching vehicles and road maintenance, as well as through a collaboration with the Zambia Wildlife Authority on joint river patrols along the Zambezi River, meetings, and intelligence sharing;
• Efforts to ensure the adoption of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) in the Zambezi Valley region are underway;
• Community engagement includes establishing conservation clubs and community rangers in schools to foster an appreciation of nature conservation and liaising with local communities;
• Studies underway to monitor the movements of elephants in the Zambezi Valley region through satellite collars have shown that some elephants have crossed the Zambezi River to Zambia utilising areas close to the river, as also observed by tourism operators;
• The management authority has undertaken several wildlife surveys including on large mammals, leopards, hippo, African painted dogs and elephants with support from international partners;
• A 2021 aerial survey recorded the population density of elephants and other large herbivores in the Zambezi Valley region. A 2022 study on trends in elephant poaching in the Mid-Zambezi Valley showed a gradual decline in elephant poaching with a decrease by at least 0.055 elephants/year. Aerial surveys have traditionally informed wildlife management policy and strategy in the property and are critical for effective management;
• The General Management Plan (GMP) is expected to be approved in January 2023 and will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review;
• The finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools National Parks Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) is underway;
• Hunting in the Sapi Safari Area and the northern part of Chewore Safari Area continues to be suspended since 2016 to allow species recovery. 101 elephants were translocated from Savé Valley Conservancy to the Sapi Safari Area to increase the population;
• There has been no uncontrolled development within the property. Developments that have taken place are within the parameters of the Management Plans, Policies and Acts, with a statutory requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before any development;
• Prospecting is permitted in Zambian protected areas. There is a strong possibility that an opencast copper mine will be developed in the Chiawa Game Management Area (CGMA), as well as gold and copper in the Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP), which could be a major threat to the property’s biodiversity conservation programmes.

In March 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted a letter to the State Party of Zambia raising concerns about third party information regarding a license for a copper mining project in the LZNP and its potential negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. No response was received.

The continued strengthening of anti-poaching measures, including through joint operations with the State Party of Zambia and support from technical and financial partners, is welcomed.

The monitoring of wildlife populations remains an important factor in the management of the property. Noting the continued implementation of anti-poaching measures, it is encouraging that the 2022 publication (based on 2015-2019 data) reports a decreasing trend in elephant poaching in the Zambezi Valley region. Whilst these efforts are recognized, it is unclear from the report to what extent poaching continues, and efforts should be continued to monitor and fully address this issue. It is positive that surveys of key wildlife that constitutes the OUV of the property have been undertaken, however since no survey results were provided, the current status of these species remains unclear. It is recommended to the State Party to continue surveys and submit the results to the World Heritage Centre as previously requested. Noting that further studies since the last state of conservation report show some elephants are crossing the Zambezi River into Zambia, it will be important for the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe to ensure a coordinated approach for the effective transboundary protection and management of elephants. In this regard, the establishment of the TFCA should be completed as soon as possible.

The continued suspension of hunting in the Sapi Safari Area and the northern part of Chewore Safari Area is noted, however no clarification was provided regarding the extent of hunting in the area referred to as a buffer zone, nor clarity on this area. It is recommended that the State Party be requested again to provide these clarifications. Noting the translocation of 101 elephants to the Sapi Safari Area, it is critical that anti-poaching efforts are sustained or enhanced and continue to be monitored. Any future translocation projects should also be undertaken in accordance with international best practice, including in line with the IUCN guidelines on translocations, to ensure a prior assessment of the suitability and risks before implementation.

It is positive that no uncontrolled tourism development has taken place within the property. Noting developments are subject to a legislated EIA process, and recalling the potential impact of tourism on the OUV of the property, impact assessments should be carried out in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.

The reported approval of to provide information on the reported decision to permit the proposed opencast mining project in LZNP (Decisions 38 COM 7B.97 and 44 COM 7B.178). It is of serious concern that there is ‘strong possibility’ that several copper and gold mining operations will be developed in LZNP and CGMA, and it is recommended to request the State Party of Zambia to provide information on any such mining projects, to ensure their potential impacts on the OUV of the property are assessed in accordance with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, especially in relation to pollution of the Zambezi River and impacts on wildlife moving across the Zambezi River into the property, before taking any decision that would be difficult to reverse.