$10m facility for biodiversity Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri

Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a $10,1 million fund to finance a project that seeks to strengthen biodiversity and ecosystems management and climate-smart landscapes in the mid to lower Zambezi.

The project is expected to promote an integrated landscape approach to managing wildlife resources, carbon and ecosystem services in the face of climate change in protected areas and community lands.

GEF was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle the planet’s most pressing environmental problems. It operates under the World Bank.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the project comprises four components that seek to address gaps in institutional capacity in managing biodiversity, community-based livelihoods, protected areas and knowledge management.

She said the implementation would be undertaken through Government agencies and the key local private sector partners like the Campfire Association.

“In total, the project will cost $52 million with co-financing from the UNDP, worth US$2 million, parallel co-financing from the Government of Zimbabwe worth US$40 100, other developing partners that include AWF, Kariba REDD+ Project, Zambezi Society, Tashinga Initiative and WWF.

“Support shall also be extended from the private sector companies namely Tree Echo, HKK Safaris, McCallum Safaris and Nzou Safaris,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri in a speech read on her behalf by the permanent secretary Ambassador Grace Mutandiro.

She said the project area covers approximately 230 000 hectares stretching from the northern part of the country at the border with Zambia and Mozambique, parts of Hurungwe, Mbire and Muzarabani districts.

“As we are all aware, this area faces a myriad of environmental challenges ranging from illegal mining, deforestation, poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

“The expansion of areas under cropping and the unsustainable consumption of wood for tobacco curing further compound these challenges posing threats to forests and woodlands,” she said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the area was a designated wetland of international importance especially the Mana Pools National Park, which was a Ramsar Site and an important bird area within the country with over 350 species.

She said the selected districts were among the 16 major wildlife districts within Campfire, notably Mbire that was a major revenue earner from safari hunting and communal conservancies through two designated areas.

“The project therefore dovetails well with the Campfire review process, which we are concluding through funding from the European Union. Furthermore, it will assist us in meeting our targets under the Sustainable Development Goals,” Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said.

She said it was anticipated that by the end of next month, the procurement process would be completed to enable the project to start in earnest.

She said the project will be implemented over a period of 72 months from 2018 to 2024.

The project was developed with technical support and co-financing from the UNDP and is part of an International Global Wildlife Programme (IGWP).

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