Africa Entices Tourists with New Tri-Nation Conservation AreaDURBAN, South Africa, June 22, 2000 (ENS) - Borders separating conservation areas of three southern African nations - Swaziland, Mozambique, and South Africa - will come down following a trilateral co-operation agreement to promote conservation signed today.
The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area was created in Durban at the World Economic Summit by the ministers responsible for the environment in the three countries.
The three countries are cooperating to boost the prosperity of the region by creating what they hope will be an international tourist destination.
The transboundary conservation pact is the second signed by the South African government this year.
The first agreement set up the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which was officially opened by the presidents of Botswana and South Africa in May.
Mozambique Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Helder dos Santos Felix Monteiro Mutela, said, "The TFCA agreement, which is the second of its kind to be signed in our region is part of a larger programme to establish conservation areas that stretch across the political boundaries of Southern Africa."
The detailed protocol to establish the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area (TCFA) includes an extensive list of objectives as well as clear undertakings by the parties, and establishes a TFCA Conservation and Resource Area Commission.
Mohammed Valli Moosa, the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism looks to local involvement in the conservation effort to make it an economic success. "The protocol will form a basis for a deliberate identification of opportunities to broaden ownership patterns in the TFCA through encouragement of local small businesses, of community owned ventures, and joint ventures with domestic and global investors," he said.
Plans for the new conservation area have been in the works for years. Roy Fanourakis, Swaziland Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives, said, "Over the past two years our three governments have co-operated to lay the foundation for the Lubombo region to emerge as a competitive international tourist destination. But much still remains to be done."
With this shared conservation area the three countries hope to improve their economic positions through sustainable use of shared natural assets.
Fanourakis said the pact signed today represents another crucial step along the way to "the realization of our vision of a prosperous and internationally competitive Lubombo."
The three ministers placed emphasis on "ecological and financially sustainable development, the sustainable use of the natural resource base and the maintenance of ecosystem function through holistic and integrated environmental planning and management."
The three governments will develop joint strategies for trans-frontier ecological planning and resource management.
Four specific areas detailed in the agreement are:
The Lubombo Ponto do Ouro-Kosi Bay Marine and coastal area on the Mozambique-South African borders
The Ndumo-Tembe-Futi elephant reserves on the border of Mozambique
The Nsubane-Pongolo (Josini) area on the border with Swaziland
The Lubombo Conservancy - Hlane-Mlawula/Goba area on the border of Mozambique and Swaziland
The Lubombo conservation area is an outgrowth of the Spatial Development Initiative in the region first agreed in 1998.
One of the key investment strategies of governments in southern Africa, Spatial Development Initiative programs (SDI) aim to unlock inherent economic potential in specific locations by enhancing their attractiveness for investment.
Through the Lubombo SDI and the establishment of the greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Authority in this newly listed World Heritage Site, the three governments plan to improve the economy of the region over the next 10 years.
By 2010, projections are for an increase in tourist numbers to 1.4 million, the bed numbers to 18,700 and foreign currency earnings to 850 million rand a year.
With careful conservation and resource management, the Lubombo SDI is expected to create 9,000 jobs during infrastructure construction. This, with private sector investment, could create 4,000 permanent jobs, according to South African government projections.
To date, the SDI program in this region has upgraded and constructed roads, built a new border crossing between South Africa and Mozambique, and spent millions of rand on a malaria control program.
The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. A 42 million rand tourism infrastructure programme, including the re-introduction of wild animals, is taking place in the southern section of the park.
The removal of 5,000 hectares of commercial forests on St. Lucia Lake's western shores and the inclusion of this area into the park has been negotiated, and land claim settlements on the eastern shores have been finalized.
The St. Lucia Millennium festival has been created along with four other satellite festivals in which 18 countries participated. Nearly three million rand have been invested in a crafts program to build capacity and give marketing support to 2,000 artisans.