The government will allocate around €14 million to create ecological corridors linking the Limpopo and Banhine Parks, conservation areas in the southern province of Gaza, Lusa reported on Thursday (24).
According to a statement released by the Limpopo National Park, ‘in addition to land use planning, the ecological corridor project includes the development of community economic development initiatives, namely the creation of community conservation areas and ecotourism ventures.’
The amount, disbursed by the European Union (EU) and the Global Environment Facility – an international organisation that provides funding and technical support to environmental projects – will also ensure economic benefits ‘for communities living along the corridors,’ the document explains, adding that this is ‘a five-year investment for the implementation of four potential ecological corridors identified.’
At a later stage, the corridors will allow the free movement of animals between the parks that make up the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (ACFT), which links the Limpopo, Banhine and Zinave National Parks in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.
The GCTCA is a transnational conservation initiative that aims to protect biodiversity and promote peace through the joint management of protected areas in three African countries.
Mozambique has approved the Mapai District (Gaza) Land Use Plan to promote land use planning that reconciles housing, economic development and the creation of free movement zones for wildlife between the Limpopo and Banhine National Parks.
