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The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia

Transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) have emerged as one of the 21st century’s contemporary approaches to management of natural resources which span the borders of two or more countries. Robust arguments exist that boundaries hamper the conservation objectives of migratory species. On the basis...

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Main Author: Lupiya, Astridah
Other Authors: Ramutsindela, Maano
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Environmental and Geographical Science 2020
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access_status_str Open Access
author Lupiya, Astridah
author2 Ramutsindela, Maano
author_browse Lupiya, Astridah
Ramutsindela, Maano
author_facet Ramutsindela, Maano
Lupiya, Astridah
author_sort Lupiya, Astridah
collection Thesis
description Transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) have emerged as one of the 21st century’s contemporary approaches to management of natural resources which span the borders of two or more countries. Robust arguments exist that boundaries hamper the conservation objectives of migratory species. On the basis of the claimed potential of TFCAs to reconcile the conservation and economic development objectives of nations through tourism, TFCAs have been widely embraced in Southern Africa as a model for governing shared resources. TFCAs in Southern Africa have been motivated by both ecological and socio-economic factors, TFCAs are also politically motivated. This study uses the lens of political ecology to understand the motivation of Zambia’s participation in the Kavango–Zambezi TFCA (KAZA TFCA). KAZA TFCA is one of the largest TFCAs in the world and is said to be home to the largest number of the remaining African elephants (approximately 120,000). This five-country TFCA spans large rural landscapes that are a potential site for extensive tourism and currently provide livelihood opportunities for many poor rural households. This study assesses the investments of Zambia’s government in the KAZA TFCA. It uses the case study of Simalaha Community Conservancy in the Western Province of Zambia to examine the implications of the KAZA TFCAs on the local population in the conservancy. The research uses semi-structured interviews, field observations and secondary data to advance an argument that TFCAs do not always yield positive gains for both governments and local communities. Gains depend on several factors, such as level of development of a country, level of tourism development and the preparedness of a participating nation to invest in and benefit from a TFCA. The study establishes that KAZA is an unequal investment landscape, with Zambia being one of the lesser investors in the KAZA TFCA. In addition, the notion that the TFCA model embodies the poverty reduction objectives meant to benefit local populations is contestable as the KAZA on the Zambian side (Simalaha community) has not improved the welfare of the local people.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:48.735Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2020
publishDateRange 2020
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publisher Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/31465 The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia Lupiya, Astridah Ramutsindela, Maano Geological Sciences Transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) have emerged as one of the 21st century’s contemporary approaches to management of natural resources which span the borders of two or more countries. Robust arguments exist that boundaries hamper the conservation objectives of migratory species. On the basis of the claimed potential of TFCAs to reconcile the conservation and economic development objectives of nations through tourism, TFCAs have been widely embraced in Southern Africa as a model for governing shared resources. TFCAs in Southern Africa have been motivated by both ecological and socio-economic factors, TFCAs are also politically motivated. This study uses the lens of political ecology to understand the motivation of Zambia’s participation in the Kavango–Zambezi TFCA (KAZA TFCA). KAZA TFCA is one of the largest TFCAs in the world and is said to be home to the largest number of the remaining African elephants (approximately 120,000). This five-country TFCA spans large rural landscapes that are a potential site for extensive tourism and currently provide livelihood opportunities for many poor rural households. This study assesses the investments of Zambia’s government in the KAZA TFCA. It uses the case study of Simalaha Community Conservancy in the Western Province of Zambia to examine the implications of the KAZA TFCAs on the local population in the conservancy. The research uses semi-structured interviews, field observations and secondary data to advance an argument that TFCAs do not always yield positive gains for both governments and local communities. Gains depend on several factors, such as level of development of a country, level of tourism development and the preparedness of a participating nation to invest in and benefit from a TFCA. The study establishes that KAZA is an unequal investment landscape, with Zambia being one of the lesser investors in the KAZA TFCA. In addition, the notion that the TFCA model embodies the poverty reduction objectives meant to benefit local populations is contestable as the KAZA on the Zambian side (Simalaha community) has not improved the welfare of the local people. 2020-03-04T08:20:26Z 2020-03-04T08:20:26Z 2019 2020-03-04T08:19:11Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31465 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science
spellingShingle Geological Sciences
Lupiya, Astridah
The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
title_full The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
title_fullStr The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
title_full_unstemmed The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
title_short The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) and its dynamics in Zambia
title_sort kavango zambezi conservation area kaza and its dynamics in zambia
topic Geological Sciences
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31465
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AT lupiyaastridah kavangozambeziconservationareakazaanditsdynamicsinzambia